


Tomorrow Will Be Kinder

by unsaltysaltines



Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: F/F, Here with an AU nobody asked for but which I have provided anyway, Hurt/Comfort, I have Plans for this AU now so buckle up buttercups, It is I your Angst Overlord, Nicole and Waverly are just Broken™ okay, Things get sexy in chapter 4, but at least they have each other, maybe this wiill get sexy eventually, stay tuned, ye been warned
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-01-16 01:36:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 33,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21262967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unsaltysaltines/pseuds/unsaltysaltines
Summary: She’s scared that she’s going to lose Waverly for good, that now that they’ve found each other they’ll be forced apart.And Waverly honestly can’t blame her. Not after everything Nicole’s been through already at the hands of the Capitol…everything she’s ever loved has been systematically taken from her, and she doesn’t want to lose Waverly, too.Waverly and Nicole have somehow managed to find each other, even in spite of all they've been through at the hands of the Capitol and President Del Rey.But even though the Games are over, there are still wounds to be healed.***Aka the Hunger Games AU I never ever thought I'd write.





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> Imagine that, me not writing canon-adjacent post-finale fic.
> 
> Instead, here's some emotions that I literally cannot get out of my head.

_ Waverly never asked for any of this. _

_ All she wanted was to make it out of the arena alive. To go back to her life in District 12 and try to forget that any of this ever happened. _

_ She understands now why Wynonna drinks. _

_ It’s not something you simply forget, the Games. Nothing can possibly prepare you for the reality of coming home and trying to feign normalcy when you’ve got innocent blood on your hands. _

_ The Games are everywhere and in everything the people of Panem do. _

_ Especially in District 12, where until Wynonna Earp, the district had never seen a single victor. There’s no chance for a normal life now, not now that everyone’s looking to Waverly as something of an example. _

_ Some kind of hero. _

_ But she’s not a hero. _

_ Waverly only did what she had to do to survive, the same as any of her neighbours. The same as she’s done every day of her life for as long as she can remember. _

_ The only iota of good that’s come out of her winning has been the knowledge that, for at least a year, everyone in District 12 will have enough food to eat. _

* * *

Waverly awakens with a start, her heart hammering in her chest.

_ It’s not real. _

_ You’re home _.

_ Nicole is right there _.

Right on cue, Nicole stirs beside her, loose red hair falling across her face as she reaches for Waverly in her sleep. Waverly gently trails the fingers of one hand over the back of Nicole’s and rubs her eyes with the other, still shaky from the nightmare.

The early morning light seeps in through the bedroom window, and Waverly knows she won’t be going back to sleep. She dresses quickly in the semi-darkness of their bedroom and slips out into the main room, pausing only briefly to look back at Nicole’s still-sleeping figure.

The main room of the cabin is small; a couch and a small table sit in front of the fireplace, standard-issue TV in the corner. The kitchen was small, but functional, and Waverly grabbed some bread from the center of the table to slip into her pack, along with some fruit and cheese. 

The woods are calling.

***

Waverly settles herself by the river, her bow untouched, and simply watches. She marvels at the variety of wildlife that passes by, completely unaware of her presence, let alone the fact that she could bring any of them down with one well-placed arrow.

Her drive to hunt has died down more than she ever thought possible. She always brings her bow out into the woods with her, just in case, but she finds that she’s becoming more and more content to simply sit back and watch like this.

Before the Games, she never had the luxury of being able to sit and observe. Everything was about simply surviving another day. Wynonna had taught her how to respect the animals of the forest and all they provided them, but there was a difference between that and truly _ seeing _ them.

When they aren’t scared of her, Waverly is finally able to see them for all they are, and it’s beautiful.

One of the few beautiful things left in a world that still feels so bleak.

* * *

_Their quarters are sparsely appointed, the same as everyone else’s, but Waverly has found ways to make them feel like home all the same. Thanks to her black market trading experience back in District 12, Waverly was able to find them a quilt and some throw pillows that are a little worse for wear, but that brighten up the small bedroom nonetheless. _

_ At Nicole’s request, Waverly pushed the small bed up against the wall to give her a little more security, and she’s sound asleep with her back against the wall when Waverly slips out in the middle of the night without a word. _

_ The rebel forces are closer than ever to taking down the Capitol forces that have been strangling them for decades, and she can’t not be there alongside them. _

_ Not when this entire rebellion is, for whatever reason, looking to her to lead them. _

_ Not when the Capitol is so close to falling. _

_ Nicole begged her not to go. She’s scared that she’s going to lose Waverly for good, that now that they’ve found each other they’ll be forced apart. She understands the rebellion, supports the rebellion, but she keeps repeating over and over that she just can’t do it anymore. _

_ And Waverly honestly can’t blame her. Not after everything Nicole’s been through already at the hands of the Capitol. Ever since Shae, everything she’s ever loved has been systematically taken from her, and she doesn’t want to lose Waverly, too. _

_ Waverly meets up with Wynonna before continuing on to the rest of the rebels. There’s a Capitol supply transport moving through in a couple hours, and this one is huge. If they can disrupt the convoy, their covert operatives will finally be able to get inside the Capitol walls, and maybe this whole thing will be over soon. _

_ *** _

_ As it turns out, luck is on their side. They hijack the convoy and force the Peacekeepers from their posts, forcing them out of their uniforms at their own gunpoint so the rebels can take their places. Once they’ve switched clothes, the Peacekeepers are left on the side of the road while the rebels go their separate ways. _

_ Waverly says goodbye to Wynonna before the hijacked vehicles pull out to continue on to the Capitol. _

_ “Come back safe, okay?” She says quietly as she embraces her older sister. “Show those shit-tickets what happens when they mess with the wrong people.” _

_ “They’re not gonna know what hit ‘em,” Wynonna says. _

_ The confidence in her voice wavers ever so slightly, and for the first time since all of this began Waverly is filled with an overwhelming sense of uncertainty. This is the first time she and Wynonna have been separated on a mission, and they genuinely can’t know for sure whether or not they’ll be reunited. _

_ “Keep me updated. However…however you can,” Waverly says. She takes in the sight of her big sister, her constant companion and protector, in full Peacekeeper uniform, and the sight sends a chill down her spine. _

_ “Love you, baby girl.” _

_ “Love you too.” _

_ Waverly watches from afar as the convoy sets out again, almost as if nothing ever happened. The sun is almost up as she sets out for home again, and she knows that Nicole will be waiting for her when she gets back to the compound. _

_ Sure enough, Nicole is sitting in the kitchen when Waverly goes in to get something to eat. Locks of bright red hair have come loose from her simple braid, there’s a cup of coffee resting on the table in front of her, and it looks like she’s carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. _

_ “H-hey…” _

_ Nicole looks up at the sound of Waverly’s voice. With a pang of guilt, Waverly sees that her eyes look red. _

_ “Was it successful?” Her voice is quiet, even. Noticing the sudden increase in tension between the two of them, the handful of other people in the communal kitchen make a beeline for the exit, leaving Waverly and Nicole alone. _

_ “It was,” Waverly answers honestly, “The rebels are on their way to infiltrate the Capitol.” _

_ “Baby, I asked you not to go.” _

_ Nicole’s eyes are wide with worry, and she looks exhausted. “I’ve been awake since you left. I heard you close the door behind you.” _

_ “Nicole, I’m sorry—” _

_ “I can’t _ lose _ you, Waverly!” Nicole exclaims. “The longer this goes on, the longer the Capitol holds out…the greater the chances are that something happens!” _

_ “You think I don’t _ know _ that?!” Waverly cries. “I just sent my own _ sister _ off on our riskiest operation yet! I couldn’t not be there!” _

_ “Waverly, I…you can’t keep risking your life like this!” _

_ It sounds like she’s close to tears, and it breaks Waverly’s heart. She loves Nicole, and it’s a constant battle between her head and her heart whenever she decides whether or not to go out on a mission. _

_ On the one hand, she just wants to run away and hide until this is all over, but on the other…she knows that she can’t let Wynonna fight this battle alone. She sinks down in a chair beside Nicole and sighs. _

_ “I’m sorry that I left without telling you. It was a stupid, _ stupid _ decision. But I have to do _ some _ thing! I can’t just sit around this compound and twiddle my thumbs—“ _

_ “Like me, you mean.” _

_ Waverly stops short as the words leave her mouth. Nicole looks as though she’s just been slapped. _

_ “Nicole, I—“ _

_ “It’s fine, Waverly. I get it. Who in their right mind would want to sit around there when there’s a rebellion to be fought?” _

_ “Baby, I didn’t mean t—” _

_ “I would give _ anything _ to be able to help,” Nicole says, her voice breaking, “Do you realize that? But instead, I’m _ stuck _ !” _

_ Waverly moves closer to Nicole and sees her shoulders are shaking as she tries to keep her voice level. Tears are shining in her eyes, and a fresh wave of guilt slams into Waverly. _

_ Guilt for leaving in the dead of night. _

_ For everything that happened during the Quarter Quell. _

_ For her stupid, stupid mouth. _

_ “I sit here, day in and day out, and hear everyone talk about raids and offensives I _ know _ I won’t be able to participate in. Instead…” her voice trails off and she gestures to herself, “I’m broken. They broke me.” _

_ Nicole lets out a huge breath that turns into a strangled sob, and Waverly wraps her arms around the other woman as her chest heaves and her body shakes. _

_ “I’m so sorry,” Waverly murmurs as she cradles Nicole’s head against her chest. “I wasn’t thinking.” _

_ Nicole has been so strong through everything. _

_ Since they were rescued from the arena, Nicole has spent more time in the medical unit than she has out of it, fighting her own personal war. _

_ There are still too many nights where she wakes up abruptly beside Waverly in a panic, her face white and breathing heavy as she frantically feels for a leg that’s no longer there. She wakes up in agony because her nervous system hasn’t gotten the message that there’s nothing there to feel the pain anymore, and there’s nothing Waverly can do but hold her and tell her it’s going to be okay. _

_ Waverly has stood by and watched from the sidelines as Nicole fought to get back the use of her other leg, pushing herself to near-collapse under the watchful eye of Capitol refugee doctors and still returning the next day to try again. _

_ Even though the Capitol has taken nearly everything from her, Nicole still gets up and fights every day. _

_ “You’re not broken,” Waverly says quietly. She kisses Nicole’s forehead gently and strokes her cheek with one thumb. “Never broken.” _

_ “Well, I’m certainly not whole,” Nicole says. “So what does that make me, then?” _

_ “That’s easy.” Waverly gently tilts Nicole’s face up so their eyes meet. She brushes a couple stray tears from Nicole’s cheeks, and her fingers linger on the other woman’s soft skin. “You…are extraordinary.” _

_ Waverly kisses Nicole gently, cradling her face with one hand while wrapping her other arm protectively around her waist. _

_ “I love you, Nicole,” Waverly murmurs. “And I never meant to hurt you. It was such a stupid thing for me to say.” _

_ They sit quietly for a few more minutes before a huge yawn involuntarily works its way out of Waverly’s body, causing Nicole to smile. _

_ “Why don’t we go back to bed for a little while, hm?” Nicole asks. _

_ “I’m exhausted,” Waverly admits. _

_ Nicole kisses her cheek gently before untangling herself from Waverly’s arms. Nicole grabs the crutches sitting beside her, and Waverly takes her hand to help her up. _

* * *

When Nicole wakes up to an empty bed, she just sighs.

There have been lots of times since the fighting stopped where Waverly has disappeared into the woods. If the weather is nice, sometimes she’ll stay out for two or three days in an attempt to quiet her mind just a little.

The first time it happened, the first time Waverly was gone for more than a couple hours, Nicole had sent Wynonna out looking for her. Her older sister had known exactly where to find her–camped beneath a huge old tree a couple miles from the edge of town, from the cabin she shared with Nicole.

Nicole understands that drive to get out, to escape from your own mind. 

Sometimes, she misses the solitude that used to come with a long day out on the water back in District 4; even though there was no need for her to do it after winning the Games, Nicole still felt she had a responsibility to contribute to the community, so the minute she got back she picked up a net and got to work.

It kept her busy, and it kept her from having to interact with her father.

Here, there’s no fishing to be done. In fact, there’s not a whole lot Nicole has found she _ can _do.

With a surprisingly graceful leap, Nicole is suddenly joined by Calamity Jane, the scrappy dog who had adopted them not long after they’d settled down, when she was just a skinny little thing living on the streets. 

She and Waverly had been in the market one morning when they spotted her rummaging for food. There was hardly even a discussion; the second she looked at them with her huge eyes, they knew she was coming home with them, and Nicole couldn’t imagine their lives without her.

Calamity worms her way into Nicole’s side and starts licking her face, reminding her that it’s time for breakfast.

“I know, girl,” Nicole says, giving the dog an affectionate scratch behind the ears. “Gimme a minute.”

Once Nicole flips the blankets back, Calamity curls up in a ball and watches as she slides down to the foot of the bed and eyes her prosthetic with disdain. It’s state-of-the-art, custom-designed by the same doctors who helped her get back to normal after the Quell, but she hates it just the same.

It feels like a tangible reminder of everything she’s lost. Everything she’s not getting back.

Nicole sighs, and the sound causes Calamity to look over at her with hopeful eyes, and it’s impossible not to smile at the rhythmic thud of the dog’s wagging tail.

***

As she gradually wakes up over her morning coffee, Nicole notes that there’s a heavy knot of anxiety in her chest. She sighs deeply, wishing Waverly hadn’t chosen today to need a day to herself.

Leaning on one crutch for support, Nicole starts pulling ingredients and bowls from the cupboards, figuring that she might as well channel her anxiety into something productive. She’s spent a significant amount of her free time experimenting in their tiny kitchen, and there’s an idea she’s been specifically saving for a day like today.

There’s an old barstool in the kitchen that Nicole likes to use when she’s working at the counter. Wynonna had shown up with it one day after having dinner with her and Waverly; she’d mumbled something about how she’d noticed that standing for an extended period of time looked painful, and had grumpily accepted Nicole’s huge hug of appreciation.

Nicole tries to get all her anxiety out into the bread dough she’s kneading; it comes together quickly beneath her fingers, and Nicole gently works in cinnamon and a handful of raisins before leaving it to rise. Calamity watches Nicole’s every move from her bed, her tail wagging ever so slightly every time Nicole steals a glimpse over her shoulder.

“I think Waverly’s gonna love this one, how about you?” she asks the dog. Calamity hops up from her resting place and barks once in excitement, and is at Nicole’s side in a flash.

* * *

_Nicole is awake and out on the water before the sun on the morning of the Reaping so she can check her traps. The usually-bustling docks are quiet this morning; Nicole figures everyone else is at home getting a couple of extra hours’ sleep before the Capitol representatives arrive for the ceremony._

_ There’s not much in the traps, but Nicole is still able to sell her small catch in the market for a decent price. She walks home slowly in the early morning sunshine, savouring the smell of the ocean air and enjoying what are likely going to be her final moments of freedom. _

_ When she drops the money on their kitchen table, Nicole’s father barely looks up from his breakfast. _

_ “Wasn’t much in the traps, but I got a good price anyway,” she says. _

_ No answer. _

_ “Are you going to be there later?” _

_ He grunts indifferently. “Lot of work to do. We’ll see.” _

_ Nicole sighs and helps herself to a quick breakfast. Even though she wasn’t out for long, there’s still a very distinct fishy odour lingering on her skin that she needs to wash off before heading to the town square. _

_ *** _

_ As she finishes braiding her hair, Nicole takes what she assumes will be her final look at her small bedroom. There are very few personal effects around the room, only a couple of family photos from a happier time, before the accident that had killed Nicole’s mother. _

_ Nicole stands in front of her bedroom mirror to finish tucking her loose, white blouse into her pants and to take one last look at her outfit before she leaves for the Reaping. _

_ “Good enough, I suppose,” she says to her reflection. She runs her fingers over Shae’s shell necklace, the one that she never takes off, in an attempt to calm her nerves. “Guess this is it.” _

_ Her father has already left for the docks by the time Nicole leaves their small hut. She joins the somber procession of teenagers who are all walking in the same direction, toward the town square, her heart growing heavier and heavier with each step. _

_ Once they reach the square, Nicole checks in with a uniformed Peacekeeper and takes her place among the other 18-year-olds to wait. The new Capitol representative, Mercedes, isn’t much older than Nicole, and Nicole resents her impeccably groomed appearance, from the shine in her red hair all the way down to the absurd high heels she wears on her feet. _

_ As they run the same propaganda video they’re forced to watch every year, Nicole closes her eyes and tries to remember how to breathe. _

_ The girls are always picked first. _

_ Mercedes’ hand reaches into the giant fishbowl containing their names, and there’s a split second where Nicole swears her entire life flashes before her eyes. _

_ The name she calls isn’t Nicole’s, but rather the name of a tiny 12-year-old who lives a couple doors down. _

_ Nicole knows what she has to do. _

_ She steps forward, out of line, and takes a deep breath. _

_ “I VOLUNTEER!” _

_ *** _

_ Her father doesn’t come to say goodbye. _

_ “That was an awfully brave thing you did back there,” Mercedes says quietly as they wait to be escorted out of the Justice Building. _

_ The other tribute, Lonnie, is saying goodbye to his family, and Nicole can’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. She looks over to Mercedes, completely missing what she said. _

_ “Hm?” _

_ “Volunteering? For that little girl?” Mercedes rests a well-manicured hand on Nicole’s arm and smiles. “That was so brave.” _

_ Nicole smiles halfheartedly. “Well…either I win in the arena or I die. Either way, my dad will be happier.” _

_ Mercedes’ eyes widen ever so slightly at Nicole’s macabre comment, but she doesn’t ask prying follow-up questions, only gives her arm a quick squeeze as Lonnie emerges and they’re escorted away by Peacekeepers. _

_ *** _

_ The countryside flashes past outside the train windows, and all Nicole can think about is Shae. _

_ The first girl she ever loved. Nicole’s fingers hardly leave the necklace at her throat as she thinks about her. _

_ When Shae’s name was called at the Reaping the year before, before Nicole even had a chance to process what was happening she’d pressed the necklace into Nicole’s hands. _

_ “I’ll always love you,” she’d said with one final kiss before she was roughly pulled out of line by Peacekeepers and escorted into the Justice Building. _

_ She’d almost made it out, too. _

_ Instead, in a cruel twist of fate, Nicole had been forced to watch as the girl she loved, who was so close to winning it all, was murdered by a District 2 Career on live TV. _

_ Nicole hadn’t been able to stop the anguished scream that ripped out of her. Her father had slapped her, hard, and furiously told her she was embarrassing him, but Nicole hardly felt a thing. _

_ It was that moment when she knew that she would have to volunteer. _

_ Nicole recounts the whole, terrible story for Mercedes and Nedley while they eat dinner all together. Maybe it’ll get her more sponsors in the arena if she shares her whole sob story. _

* * *

Waverly returns home as the sun is just starting to set, enough small game in hand for a fantastic dinner. The smell of cinnamon greets her as she opens the front door, and when Waverly goes to start the rabbit roasting for dinner she sees a fresh loaf of bread cooling on the counter.

Like she’d read Waverly’s mind, Nicole the loaf is shaped like a rabbit, and Waverly feels herself grin like an idiot at the sight. She wonders where exactly Nicole has disappeared off to, and when she turns toward their bedroom she notices the door is slightly ajar.

“Nicole?” Waverly knocks gently on the door before entering.

Nicole is wrapped up tightly in a blanket on their bed, Calamity curled up right beside her. It’s a familiar sight; while Waverly needs to take off to get out of her own head, Nicole’s anxiety physically traps her, and the only way for her to climb out of it is often to just ride it out.

Calamity’s ears perk up as she looks over for the source of the interruption, and her tail wags when she sees it’s Waverly.

“Hey girl,” Waverly says as she sits down on the bed. Nicole opens her eyes as Calamity rolls over to accept Waverly’s belly scratches.

“Hey baby,” Nicole says quietly.

Waverly gently runs her fingers through a loose lock of Nicole’s hair. “Bad day?”

“It didn’t start that way, but…yeah.” Nicole sighs deeply as she threads her fingers through Waverly’s and kisses her knuckles.

“Sorry I wasn’t here to help.”

“It’s okay,” Nicole says softly. “You needed to do your thing. Plus, Calamity was here.”

They may have taken her in together, but Calamity is Nicole’s dog through and through. She loves them both, but it’s Nicole who Calamity follows around the house, and it’s always Nicole who she greets first when they walk through the door. The day they rescued her, she tried over and over to escape from her bath and climb into Nicole’s lap, completely uninterested in being clean.

Waverly gently nudges the dog out of her spot beside Nicole so she can be face-to-face with the redhead. Calamity hops off the bed and curls up in her bed with a loud huff of annoyance, drawing a giggle from Nicole.

“_ Such _ a drama queen,” Waverly says with a grin. She kisses Nicole gently and wraps her arms around the other woman. “You feeling any better?”

“A little, yeah. You?”

Waverly nods, and Nicole kisses the tip of her nose.

“Good.”

* * *

_The simple prospect of the Quarter Quell is horrifying enough before they find out the catch—that each district’s tributes will be reaped from its pool of existing victors._

_ Wynonna flings her drink at the wall after the announcement is made, roaring in frustration. _

_ “What’s that supposed to mean for us?!” She bellows. “Are they gonna send us BOTH back?! Since they don’t have a male tribute to send?!” _

_ “I don’t know, Wynonna,” Waverly says, her voice hollow. “I guess we’ll find out at the Reaping.” _

_ “You know I’m not letting you go back into that arena, baby girl,” Wynonna says, her voice deathly quiet. “Not if I can help it.” _

_ “Somehow, I don’t think it’s gonna be up to you, Wynonna,” Waverly says. “Del Rey is gonna do what he wants.” _

_ Wynonna is quiet. Waverly looks over at her sister and sees that there’s a strange look on her face. _

_ “Wynonna, what’re you thinking…?” She asks tentatively. _

_ Wynonna doesn’t answer, just gets up from her spot on the couch and walks out the front door. _

_ When the Reaping rolls around several weeks later, they find out the answer to their question. _

_ Both Earp sisters are going back into the arena. _

_ *** _

_ Nicole is alone when President Del Rey makes the announcement, and she listens without entirely comprehending his words. _

_ Existing victors. _

_ There are about a dozen of them living in the Victors’ Village. Nicole is the only one living alone; everyone else has partners or family or even a handful of friends living with them, but not Nicole. Out of obligation, she’d tried to offer a room in her new house to her father, but he refused. _

_ So, Nicole watches Capitol broadcasts alone in her living room. She still goes out fishing, even though she doesn’t need the money anymore—it gives her something to occupy both her time and her hands, plus it means she gets to go out on the water. _

_ The Reaping is only a few weeks away, which gives Nicole enough time to get her affairs in order. If she’s chosen to go back into the arena…well, she figures it’s what she deserves. _

_ There’s so much blood on her hands. Innocent blood. _

_ She sees their faces when she tries to sleep at night. _

_ Hears their screams. _

_ Feels the life drain out of them under her hands. _

_ If she isn’t chosen outright, Nicole thinks she just might volunteer again. There’s nothing left for her here. _

_ *** _

_ “Those’re the Earp sisters,” Nedley grunts, gesturing across the training area toward a pair of brunette women sparring with lethal-looking knives. “The only victors from 12 in the whole godforsaken history of these Games. They needed two tributes, so the Capitol brought ‘em both back.” _

_ “Jesus,” Nicole sighs under her breath. “Tough break.” _

_ “Yeah. They’re likely to be lethal, so you two might wanna consider allying yourselves with them early on.” _

_ Nicole looks over at Xavier, who had been District 4’s youngest victor at only 14 years old, and who had hardly said two words since they arrived back in the Capitol. Seeing his blank expression, Nicole sighs and turns her attention back to the still-sparring sisters. _

_ One of them has let her long, dark hair flow freely behind her as she fights, and there’s a wild look in her eyes as she sweeps her sister’s legs out from under her. _

_ Her sister. Waverly Earp. Winner of the previous year’s Games. _

_ The smaller woman falls to the ground with a loud yelp of surprise, and as she gets up from the mats she happens to look over in Nicole’s direction. Her eyes meet Nicole’s, and as she gives Nicole a small smile and a wave, Nicole feels as though someone’s sucker punched her in the gut. _

_ Of _ course _ she’s even more beautiful in person. Once Nedley leaves Nicole and Xavier to their training, Nicole can’t help but wander over to where the Earps are getting ready to spar again. _

_ The older sister immediately tenses up as Nicole approaches, and Nicole raises her hands to indicate she means no harm. _

_ “What d’you want, Red?” The older Earp says with a skeptical look. “I don’t recognize you from past Games…” _

_ “Well, that’d be because I’ve never offered myself up as a mentor,” Nicole says stiffly. “Nicole Haught, District 4.” Nicole offers her hand out in a gesture of goodwill, but it’s Waverly who shakes it firmly. _

_ “I’m Waverly, and _ that’s _ Wynonna,” the younger woman says, gesturing to her sister, who’s still eyeing Nicole suspiciously. “District 12.” _

_ “Saw you’re here with Dolls,” Wynonna says slowly. “Mr. ‘Strong and Silent’ himself.” _

_ “Yeah,” Nicole says. “He’s a smart one. I think we’ll make a decent team.” _

_ “What d’you say, Red?” Wynonna says, her eyes narrow. “Wanna show us what you’ve got? Hand-to-hand combat, best of three?” _

_ “You’re on, Earp.” _

_ *** _

_ Nicole must have impressed Wynonna with her combat skills, because she and Xavier quickly find themselves well on their way to forming an alliance with the Earps. Wynonna and Xavier immediately begin discussing the relative merits of different types of blades, while Waverly joins Nicole at the outdoor survival stations. _

_ “Would you mind…showing me how to do this?” Waverly asks quietly, gesturing to the fishhook Nicole is finishing off. “I can show you…how to hunt? Trap? Build a shelter in the woods?” _

_ Nicole grins at the younger girl’s enthusiasm. “Whatever you want to teach me, Waverly.” _

_ Waverly Earp certainly knows a lot more about outdoor survival than Nicole does, and Nicole jumps at the opportunity to learn from her. A lack of proper survival skills was nearly her undoing during her own Games, not a lack of strength or weapons knowledge. _

_ Though, whether or not Nicole will remember anything Waverly is teaching her is anyone’s guess. Nicole keeps finding herself getting distracted by Waverly’s long hair and hazel eyes, not to mention the fact that she’s absolutely brilliant. In fact, if they weren’t training for a televised fight to the death, she’s sure she would be happy to listen to Waverly talk about anything and everything under the sun. _

_ When training is over for the day, Nicole is genuinely disappointed that she has to leave the Earps’ company and return to their Capitol-assigned quarters. She finds that, all through dinner, she can’t stop thinking about the youngest Earp. Nedley and Xavier very seriously discuss strategy, but Nicole’s mind keeps straying back to Waverly. _

_ *** _

_ The rest of the training period passes relatively uneventfully. Wynonna and Waverly don’t have a mentor with them, since they’re the only two victors from District 12, but Waverly finds out that their assigned Capitol representative, Mercedes Gardner, knows Nicole. _

_ “Oh, that tall drink of water from 4?!” She exclaims when Waverly mentions her on their third night in the Capitol, “She’s back?” _

_ “Sure is,” Waverly says, turning her face back toward the huge windows of the penthouse to hide the flush that’s surely creeping up her cheeks. “We’ve been training with her and Xavier, the other tribute from 4.” _

_ Waverly sighs and looks over at Mercedes, and hopes she doesn’t notice how her hands are shaking as she tries to figure out how to say what she wants to. _

_ “She seems like a good person,” Waverly says quietly. “D’you know who’s assigned to the District 4 tributes, by any chance?” _

_ Mercedes sighs. “That’d be my younger sister, Beth.” _

_ “Is there any way you could…pass along a message for me?” Waverly asks tentatively. “If you can?” _

_ “I think I might be able to find a way,” Mercedes says, raising one eyebrow. _

_ The redhead yelps with delight when Waverly gives her the message to deliver, and Waverly goes to bed that night hoping her plan will be successful. _

* * *

Nicole is quiet all through dinner, and Waverly isn’t surprised when she quietly mentions that she’s going back to bed.

“D’you need anything?” Waverly asks. Nicole opens her mouth like she’s about to answer, but just shakes her head and disappears back into their bedroom. Waverly watches her go and sighs as she sinks down on the couch. Calamity chooses to jump up and snuggle with Waverly as she watches Nicole close the door behind her.

Waverly can tell when her past is weighing heavily on the redhead, even though Nicole is tight-lipped about her life before they met during the Quell. Tonight, there are dark circles under her eyes, and even when she smiles at Waverly there’s something distant in her eyes.

She tries to read, but Waverly keeps getting distracted by the closed bedroom door. Eventually, Waverly gives up all together and gets up from the couch, drawing an annoyed whine from Calamity. 

While she starts the kettle for tea, Waverly cuts a couple of slices from the fresh loaf of bread on the counter. Plump raisins are studded throughout, and the smell of cinnamon makes Waverly’s mouth water. She pulls the tea, Nicole’s favourite, from the cupboard, and allows their two mugs to steep while she spreads a thin layer of butter over the bread and fixes a tray.

Nicole is already sitting on the bed, slowly running a comb through her damp red waves. 

“Hey,” Waverly says quietly, stopping in the doorway. “I made tea. Anything I can do to help?”

Nicole looks up and smiles softly when she sees the tray that Waverly has in her hands, the shadow of a dimple appearing in her left cheek. Waverly’s heart skips a beat; it was those dimples that captivated her the first time they locked eyes in the training arena, and they’re still her absolute weakness. As she hands Nicole a mug, her hands pause on top of Nicole’s; Waverly runs her thumbs in a couple gentle circles over the still-warm skin, and she hears Nicole let out a soft sigh.

“I’m sorry, Waves.”

Nicole’s voice is quiet as she stares contemplatively down into the mug in her hands; as she breathes in deeply, she notices it’s her favourite calming blend. 

She can’t help but grin as Waverly takes a huge bite out of a slice of bread and groans in satisfaction. Nicole was never much of a baker in her past life, but it’s the only thing that seems to make sense to her anymore, and the fact that Waverly loves it certainly doesn’t hurt. At Waverly’s insistence, she tries the bread herself and is pleasantly surprised with how it’s turned out.

Waverly sets the empty tray on the floor beside the bed so she can move closer to Nicole. 

“Nicole…” Waverly sighs and runs her fingers gently through Nicole’s damp hair. “Baby, it’s just going to stress you out more if you keep everything inside. What’s on your mind?”

“I was just…I was thinking about my dad,” Nicole says quietly. “I don’t know why, but he’s been on my mind all day.”

“What about him?”

Waverly tries to hide her surprise. If there’s one person Waverly has almost _ never _ heard Nicole mention, it’s her father.

“It occurred to me that I never found out what happened to him. After the Quell. And I know—” Nicole’s voice cracks “—I know that he didn’t give a rat’s ass what happened to me in there, but…” She shrugs, feeling helpless.

“I’m sure that’s not true…” Waverly says, but even as she says it she doesn’t necessarily believe it. She’s never pressed for specifics, but every time Nicole mentions her father it’s never in any positive context. When Nicole looks up at her and slowly shakes her head, Waverly knows her unfortunate instincts are about to be proven correct.

“When I volunteered for the Games that first time, I hoped that maybe he would notice what I’d done, maybe he would be proud of me. Instead, I returned home, packed my things, and moved into the Victors’ Village alone. Plus,” she adds, hating the tears beginning to prick at her eyes, “what’s he going to want with me _ now _?”

“Baby, I’m so sorry…” Waverly says, fighting back tears herself. “I wish I knew what to say.” In spite of herself, Waverly can’t help but wonder if she’d dodged a bullet when her own father was killed in the mines of District 12, because she doesn’t think he would have been much kinder.

“Would you want to try and find out?” Waverly asks gently. “I’m sure we could get word to District 4.”

“I don’t know,” Nicole says honestly. “Because I don’t know if I can take it again. Just one more thing to add to the list of disappointments.”

“No matter what you decide,” Waverly says, “I need you to know that you are one of the strongest people I’ve ever met, and I’m so _ lucky _ that I get to wake up beside you every morning. I mean it!” She adds as Nicole raises her eyebrows incredulously.

“That’s pretty cheesy, Earp,” Nicole says, trying to cover her emotion with a small smirk, but the way her cheeks flush gives away her true feelings instantly.

“Maybe, but it’s true.”

* * *

_Nicole’s screams cause Waverly’s blood to run cold. _

_ Abandoning the trap line she’s been carefully rigging, Waverly takes off running in the direction of the commotion, hoping she’s not too late. A cannon sounds, and Waverly barely notices it. _

_ It’s not Nicole. _

_ It can’t be Nicole. _

_ By the time she reaches the clearing, the cannon has sounded two more times, and the woods are beginning to quiet again. A branch snaps under Waverly’s feet, and within a split second there’s a knife at her throat. _

_ “ _ DOLLS! _ ” Waverly shouts. “Stand down, it’s _ me _ !” _

_ Realizing that she’s not a threat, Dolls steps back, and Waverly is able to take in the scene in front of her. _

_ “What the hell happened?” She breathes. “I heard—Where’s Nicole? Wynonna?” _

_ “They’re a little further in,” he says brusquely, motioning for Waverly to follow him. “Let’s go.” _

_ Wynonna is kneeling with her back to Waverly and Dolls, and Waverly sees red hair spread on the ground beside her. _

“Nicole!”

_ Wynonna jumps and looks around, and Waverly’s heart sinks as she takes in the scene. Nicole is on the ground, her face drained of all colour, covered in blood. _

_ “She fell out of a fucking tree and they were just…right there,” Wynonna says quietly. “I think she must have hit a fucking tripwire or something when she fell, because when I found her her leg was…well,” Wynonna sighs. “See for yourself.” _

_ Wynonna has fashioned a makeshift splint for Nicole’s left leg, but it’s her other leg that causes Waverly’s stomach to sink like a stone. _

_ Clearly, Nicole broke her fall with her right leg, because even to Waverly’s untrained eye it looks nearly shattered, and there looks to be a length of barbed wire embedded in her calf, which Waverly recognizes as a snare that someone had modified to inflict maximum human injury. _

_ “Baby girl, I need your help,” Wynonna says quietly, pulling Waverly’s attention away from Nicole’s injuries. “We’ve gotta find a way to stop this bleeding. Can you check and see if any of them had any supplies on them?” _

_ “Any of…?” _

_ Waverly’s question dies in her throat as she looks around and notices the bodies. The male tribute from District 7 and both tributes from District 1 are scattered around them, and Waverly quickly gets to work checking their bodies for supplies and weapons before the Capitol hovercrafts arrive to take them away. _

_ Thankfully, one of them seems to have grabbed some basic first aid supplies from the Cornucopia, and while she’s at it Waverly wrestles the rest of his pack away, hoping there are more useful things inside, but also thinking that they can use the material to possibly slow the bleeding. Waverly thrusts the pack at her sister and drops to her knees beside Nicole. _

_ Nicole’s breathing is shallow and laboured, and Waverly sees that she’s screwed her eyes shut tight against the pain. _

_ “Nicole? Baby, can you look at me?” Waverly says quietly. _

_ “Hey,” Nicole gasps, turning her head so she can meet Waverly’s eyes. Her face is ghostly white, and as Waverly takes her hand she notices Nicole’s entire body is shaking. _

_ “You’re gonna be okay,” Waverly says as she threads her fingers through Nicole’s and kisses her knuckles. “I’m not leaving you.” _

_ “Haught?” Wynonna’s voice interrupts them. “I’m gonna try tying a tourniquet to stop the bleeding and, full disclosure, it’s really gonna hurt. You ready?” _

_ “No…” Nicole groans through gritted teeth, “But just do it. Wait!” she exclaims, propping herself up on her elbows to look at Wynonna. “There’s st—there are still five more out there.” _

_ “Five more tributes?” Waverly asks, and Nicole only nods, breathing heavy from the effort it takes to hold her upper body upright. _

_ “What d’you—” _

_ Waverly is already shedding her jacket. She pulls out the knife hidden in her boot, quickly cuts off one sleeve, and spreads the rest of the garment over Nicole as a makeshift blanket. _

_ “Will this work?” Waverly holds up the thick material for Nicole to see, and the redhead nods frantically. She collapses back down into Waverly’s lap, preparing for what’s coming next. _

_ “Do you trust me?” Waverly asks. _

_ “Always.” _

_ Taking that as Nicole’s blessing, Waverly bunches up the material of her jacket and stuffs it in her mouth. She doesn’t break eye contact and repeats over and over that it’s going to be okay as Wynonna prepares to tighten the bandage. Wynonna counts to three, and Nicole’s entire body goes rigid as she screams in agony, the sound muffled by the fabric of Waverly’s jacket. _

_ “I’m so sorry baby,” Waverly murmurs as Nicole’s screams turn to anguished sobs. Nicole’s jaw clenches with tension as she bites down, hard, on the wad of material, and she screws her eyes shut tight. “I know, I _ know _ it hurts; squeeze my hand if you need to.” _

_ Nicole squeezes Waverly’s hand as hard as she can, and the strength of her grip is reassuring. Wynonna stares intently at the site of the injury, barely breathing, and sighs in relief after a few minutes. _

_ “It’s slowing down. She good?” _

_ “She’s okay,” Waverly says, running her free hand through Nicole’s hair. Her body gradually relaxes as the pain subsides, and eventually Nicole reaches up with her other hand to pull the makeshift gag out of her mouth. She uses the sleeve of her own jacket to wipe the thin sheen of sweat from her brow, and releases the last of the tension in her body as Waverly wraps her arms around her upper body. _

_ “I’m not going anywhere,” she murmurs as she tightens her arms around Nicole. “We’re gonna figure out how to get you out of here, and you’re going to be _ fine _ .” _

_ Waverly looks up to see that Wynonna and Dolls are deep in quiet discussion beside them. With a look back at Nicole, Wynonna takes off back into the woods, and Dolls takes her place beside Nicole. _

_ “Wynonna’s just going to get water, she’ll be right back,” Dolls says matter-of-factly. Waverly sees his eyes dart back and forth from the spot where Wynonna disappeared into the woods, and her own suspicion begins to swirl. She tells herself not to worry, that Nicole trusts him so she should too. _

_ Without moving her too much, Waverly helps Nicole into a near-sitting position, her short legs spread out as far as possible on either side of Nicole. _

_ “I gotta say,” Nicole says weakly, “this really isn’t how I usually like to get close to pretty girls.” _

_ “Nicole!” _

_ “I’m not kidding!” Nicole smiles at the indignation in Waverly’s voice, and presses a gentle kiss to the back of the other woman’s hand. _

_ “Even _ injured _ how are you this gross?” _

_ Wynonna’s voice cuts through the clearing as she emerges from the woods. Her hair and clothes are damp, and she’s carrying two canteens full of water. She makes eye contact with Dolls and nods almost imperceptibly before kneeling down beside Nicole. _

_ “Drink this,” Wynonna says gruffly as she hands Nicole one of the containers of water and evaluates her injuries again. “All of it. Before I try cleaning these.” _

_ Nicole is mortified by how much her hands shake as she raises the canteen to her lips. Without saying a word, Waverly covers Nicole’s hand with hers and helps her hold it steady while she gulps down the fresh, cool water inside. _

_ “How far are we from the river?” Waverly asks. “Can we move, so we don’t have to go back and forth for water?” _

_ “NO!” _

_ Wynonna’s exclamation startles Waverly. “She can’t move with that leg, not right now. I’ll go back and forth until J—until we come up with a plan.” _

_ Waverly narrows her eyes at Wynonna’s near-slip of the tongue. _

_ “You ready for me?” Wynonna asks Nicole, changing the subject abruptly. Nicole sets the mostly-empty canteen down beside her and nods, taking Waverly’s hands tightly. _

_ *** _

_ In spite of her jokes and relative calm earlier in the day, once the adrenaline wears off Nicole’s condition starts to decline rapidly. _

_ Nicole’s entire body begins to shiver violently in Waverly’s arms, her teeth chattering, and a touch of her forehead reveals she’s burning up. Waverly looks around desperately, but they don’t have anything else they can use as blankets. _

_ “I think we’re gonna have to risk it,” Wynonna says quietly. “Dolls, get a fire going. It’s getting dark.” _

_ Waverly tries to keep talking to Nicole, to keep her awake and aware as Wynonna examines her injuries again, but it proves to be much more difficult than it was earlier in the day. _

_ “Shit,” Wynonna hisses. “That leg’s probably infected.” _

_ “Nicole, you’ve got to stay awake for me,” Waverly pleads, “I know it’s hard, just squeeze my hands to let me know you’re still with me.” _

_ Nicole weakly squeezes Waverly’s hands in response. She tries to meet Waverly’s eyes, but her gaze is hazy and unfocused. _

_ Every time Wynonna touches her it’s agony, but Nicole doesn’t have the energy to scream. Instead, she sobs in Waverly’s arms, unable to stop herself even though she can hardly breathe through the pain as it is. _

_ “It’s okay,” Waverly murmurs, trying to keep the panic out of her voice. “We’re gonna figure out how to get you out of here, and you’re gonna be fine.” _

_ “B-but if I d-don’t—” Nicole gasps, the words taking a huge effort to produce, “I n-need you to know—” _

_ She rests a shaking hand on Waverly’s cheek, trying to gather the strength to tell her everything she needs to, but she can’t get the words out. _

_ “I know, baby,” Waverly says quietly. “I know.” _

_ She holds Nicole close to her while Wynonna and Dolls talk in hushed whispers by the fire. They keep looking over at Waverly and Nicole, and Waverly tries to piece together what they’re discussing from the snippets of their conversation she can hear. _

_ “—got to do it soon—” _

_ “—only has a few hours—” _

_ “—doesn’t know?” _

_ “One of you assholes needs to fill me in _ right now! _ ” Waverly hisses. “You’ve been shooting weird looks at each other all afternoon, and I’m not putting up with it anymore! So what th—” _

_ Waverly’s protests are cut off as the fire is abruptly extinguished and her sister tackles her, knife drawn. As a sudden burst of pain shoots through Waverly’s right arm, Wynonna hisses an explanation in her ear, her mouth nearly pressed to the side of Waverly’s face. _

_ “So they don’t hear,” she says. “We’ve only got a few minutes, so help me hold Nicole down.” _

_ Wynonna flings something into the dark of the woods, and Waverly gasps when she looks down at the bleeding wound on her arm and realizes Wynonna’s cut her tracker out in one fell swoop. _

_ “Nicole?” Waverly gently nudges the redhead, who’s barely holding on to consciousness in her arms. “Nicole, this is gonna hurt, but Wynonna has a plan, okay?” _

_ Nicole gives Waverly the smallest of nods, and even in the low light Waverly can see there’s a troubling lack of cognizance in her eyes. She holds Nicole a little tighter and looks to her sister. _

_ As Wynonna slices into Nicole’s arm, a huge, sonic explosion startles Waverly and ripples throughout the entire arena. Waverly looks up in panic and sees electric currents rippling through the sky. _

Force fields. 

Of course.

* * *

Waverly brings their dishes back to the kitchen and quickly takes Calamity out one last time before returning to their bedroom. She slips between their soft sheets and snuggles close to Nicole, wrapping her arms around the taller woman’s waist.

Nicole gently toys with a lock of hair that’s come loose from Waverly’s braid before taking her face in her hands and kissing her slowly. Waverly’s arms tighten around her waist as she kisses her back deeply, teasing Nicole’s lips apart with her tongue. Nicole kisses her hungrily, drinking in everything about her as she runs one hand over Waverly’s soft skin.

“Sometimes, I can’t believe this is real,” Nicole murmurs quietly, between kisses.

“Hm?”

Nicole strokes Waverly’s cheek with her thumb as she takes in everything about the brunette. “This. Any of this. _ You _.”

“I know what you mean,” Waverly says. 

She meets Nicole’s gaze and spends a moment reveling in her soft features—the way her fire-red hair stands out against her pale skin; her dark eyes that contain multitudes; the tiny beauty mark just below her left eye that Waverly gently runs her thumb over, drawing a small sigh from the other woman.

“Someday,” Nicole sighs. “Someday, it’ll be easier.”

It’s the same mantra she’s been repeating to herself since her first Games, but until now she hasn’t quite allowed herself to believe it.

Not until her. Not until Waverly. They have each other, and because of that Nicole finally feels like everything might eventually be okay.


	2. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before the Games begin, there's an important matter Waverly needs to take care of…that involves a certain tall redhead from District 4.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter of the Hunger Games AU nobody asked for! 
> 
> I quickly realized that I couldn't keep up with the back-and-forth style of writing without things getting unwieldy, so everything's getting broken up into proper chapters now. Though what's an "update schedule," I don't know her.

Waverly waits anxiously near the training ring, where she’d asked Nicole to meet her after dinner. There’s obviously a chance that someone is watching, but there’s just no time for them to try being more careful. Wynonna, naturally, knows exactly how they can sneak out of the building unnoticed, and Waverly wrings her hands as she goes over her plan again and again.

“Waves?”

The sound of Nicole’s voice causes Waverly to jump a foot in the air. She whips around and her long braid follows, smacking her in the face.

“Sorry!” Nicole exclaims, jumping back slightly. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s okay,” Waverly says quickly as she takes a step towards the redhead. “I’m…really glad you came.”

“Of course,” Nicole says quietly. “What’s up?”

As she takes in the woman in front of her, Waverly feels everything that she’s carefully planned slowly evaporate. 

Nicole is wearing loose-fitting black pants and a white button-down, and her long, red hair is pulled back in a half-ponytail.

“I was hoping we could talk,” Waverly says. “I know our time here is almost up and we’re gonna be thrown into the arena soon, but—”

Waverly’s rambling is cut off by a pair of searing lips on her own. Nicole cradles her face gently as she kisses her, and once her surprise wears off Waverly wraps her arms around the taller woman’s waist and allows her body to melt into Nicole’s. She pulls back slightly to meet Nicole’s warm brown eyes.

“You okay?” Nicole asks.

Waverly only nods before kissing her again.

“I’ve wanted to do this the entire time,” she murmurs. “You looked at me from across the ring, and…”

“I know,” Nicole says. “I felt it too.” She rests her forehead against Waverly’s and gently strokes her cheek with her thumb.

“Y’know…” Waverly begins, “I was going to see if you wanted to sneak out of here, but…we have a pretty nice view all the way up in the penthouse. We could go up and just…talk?”

Heat floods Waverly’s cheeks as she speaks. She doesn’t want to sound suggestive or forward, even as the woman in front of her is making her heart pound so hard she feels dizzy.

“I’d love that.”

Nicole smiles, and the appearance of her dimples nearly causes Waverly to collapse in a heap.

***

The Capitol below them seems to hum with energy as they sit on the balcony outside Waverly’s room. The second she’d returned to their apartments with Nicole in tow, Wynonna had made herself mysteriously scarce, for which Waverly was thankful.

“Two years in a row, hm?” Nicole asks, taking one of Waverly’s hands in her own as they look out over the vibrant city.

Waverly sighs. “Our family’s never exactly been known for our luck. Wynonna was drunk for three straight days after I was chosen last year. At least she got to help train me and to see me off.”

“You seem really close,” Nicole says quietly.

“Wynonna basically raised me; it’s been the two of us for a long time. In a weird way…I guess I’m kind of glad we get to go into this together.”

Waverly sighs deeply, and Nicole gives her hand a small squeeze.

“I think that’s amazing. Knowing she’ll fight by your side no matter what. She may act all tough, but I can see it—Wynonna would do anything for you.”

There’s a hint of sadness in Nicole’s voice as she stares down at where her fingers are intertwined with Waverly’s.

“What about you?” Waverly asks. “I know you volunteered, and that you’re damn good with a fishing net, but other than that I don’t know all that much about you.”

“Not much to know,” Nicole says, a false cheeriness creeping in to her voice that she can tell isn’t fooling Waverly. 

“Oh_ please. _ Nobody volunteers for this bloodbath if they can help it…and you did it _ twice_.”

Nicole shrugs, feigning indifference even as anxiety begins to flood the pit of her stomach. Her free hand instinctively goes to her neck, to the necklace that’s always there.

“It was because of her, wasn’t it?” Waverly asks. When Nicole looks at her in surprise, she just smiles sheepishly. “I may have gone back and watched some highlights.” 

Nicole sighs. “Shae was the first girl I ever loved. And she was _ so _ close to making it back alive. I guess I volunteered because I wanted to avenge her, or whatever. Plus,” she adds quietly, “it felt like a way I could finally make my father proud. He’s never accepted me, so I hoped that maybe volunteering would make him…see me.”

She clears her throat to cover up the emotion rising in her chest, and Waverly untangles her fingers so she can bring both hands up to cradle Nicole’s face.

“I’m sure that’s been really difficult for you,” Waverly says as she surveys Nicole’s face with soft hazel eyes.

“I’ve learned to live with it,” Nicole says honestly, “but nothing about any of this, the Games…none of it makes sense. It’s damn near impossible to find peace.”

Waverly sighs and rests her forehead against the redhead’s. “I know what you mean.” She kisses Nicole gently, wrapping her arms around her neck. “I don’t understand how they’re all partying down there when in 36 hours, we’ll be back in the arena…fighting to the death.”

“Something feels different about these Games. And not just because it’s a Quarter Quell,” Nicole says. “I think the other tributes are angry. Nobody’s going into that arena without a fight. I’m sure more of it will come out during the interviews.”

“There were rumours…during the victory tour…” Waverly says tentatively, “about uprisings in the Districts.”

“I’ve heard them too. I don’t know what exactly is going on, but I think something’s happening out there.” Nicole kisses Waverly’s cheek, then the tip of her nose, before capturing her lips again. “I won’t let anything happen to you in there, Waves. I know you haven’t known me for very long, but…”

_ But there’s nothing left for me out here_.

***

“How’d it go with Red—”

Wynonna barges into her sister’s room, drunk and intent on harassing her for details about her night, but stops short.

Waverly is stretched out on her bed, fully clothed, and asleep in the arms of the tall redhead from District 4. She stirs at the intrusion and rolls over, blinking blearily up at her sister.

“I was gonna ask how it went with Haught, but…I think I’ve got my answer,” Wynonna says, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. Waverly doesn’t answer her, only grumbles and rolls back over in Nicole’s arms. Wynonna takes that as an answer and leaves, closing the door much more quietly behind her.

“Nicole…” Waverly mumbles, gently nudging the other woman awake. “C’mere…”

Nicole sleepily follows Waverly’s lead as she pulls the blankets back and crawls under them, still in her clothes. Waverly presses her body close to Nicole’s again under the warmth of the covers, and they’re both asleep again within minutes.

When Nicole wakes up early the next morning, the first thing she notices is that she’s still wearing all her clothes from the night before. 

The second thing she notices is that Waverly Earp is dead asleep in her arms, her head tucked under Nicole’s chin, breathing deeply. Nicole smiles and kisses the top of Waverly’s head gently, hoping it doesn’t wake the sleeping brunette.

Waverly stirs in her arms, letting out a small noise of contentment as she readjusts her position, and Nicole sighs softly.

How could everything about this feel so_ right? _They barely know each other, but Nicole didn’t think twice before deciding she would lay down her life for the younger woman. 

“Mornin’.”

Waverly’s voice, thick with sleep, interrupts Nicole’s thoughts.

“Guess we fell asleep,” Nicole says quietly. “I should probably go back though—”

“Don’t. Not yet.” Waverly holds on to Nicole a little tighter as she speaks. 

“People are gonna wonder where I am,” Nicole groans, even as Waverly kisses her neck. “And it’s the last day…”

“Exactly…” Waverly mumbles, her lips finding a sensitive spot just below Nicole’s ear. She smirks at the shudder that runs through the older woman. “So we should just…stay here. Until someone comes looking for us.”

Right on cue, Wynonna bursts into the bedroom and gags dramatically at the sight in front of her.

“I can’t believe we’re all about to go back into that arena of death, and you two decided to spend the entire night_ snuggling _ . _ ” _

“You’re just jealous, Earp,” Nicole says with a smirk.

“Jealous or not, you two are late for breakfast.”

At breakfast, over a mouthful of toast, Wynonna casually mentions to Waverly that making her flirtation with Nicole public might be a good way to get sponsors in the arena.

“There’s nothing those goons in the Capitol love more than a good doomed romance,” she says. “Think about it.”

With that, Wynonna shoves another piece of toast in her mouth and abruptly makes her leave, leaving Waverly confused, but intrigued. She finishes her own breakfast quickly and hurries down to the training centre, hoping to catch Nicole before the individual assessments begin.

***

There are already at least ten other tributes waiting when Waverly finds Nicole before their assessments.

“It could work, you know,” Nicole says quietly after Waverly recounts what happened over breakfast. “I mean, there’s nothing in the rules that forbids inter-District romance between tributes…” She eyes the other waiting tributes warily as she speaks.

Waverly sighs, knowing Nicole and Wynonna are right. After all, they’re both more experienced.

“As much as I want to keep this just ours…” Waverly’s voice trails off as she grabs the back of Nicole’s neck and pulls her in for a long, deep kiss. “Convention be damned.”

Nicole’s dimples pop as she grins and pulls Waverly in for another kiss. Out of the corner of her eye, Waverly can see some of the other tributes gawking at them, wide-eyed and not subtle at all.

“Sit with me? While we wait?” Waverly says quietly.

“Of course.”

They’re soon joined by Wynonna and Dolls, and it’s not long before a calm, disembodied voice begins calling tributes in one at a time, beginning with District 1. Nicole holds on tight to Waverly’s hand, knowing that she’ll be called long before Waverly.

“_Nicole Haught, District 4._”

The voice calls for her, and Nicole kisses Waverly again before standing up, taking a deep breath, and walking through the automatic doors into the arena. Several other tributes eye Waverly suspiciously, but look away quickly once Wynonna tells them to fuck off.

“What’s it to you, assholes?” she snaps. “We’re about to go back into their fucking Games, so nothing else_ really _matters!”

An awkward silence falls over the room, and no one speaks for the rest of the assessments.

***

Before her stylist shows up with her interview outfit, Nicole takes a long look at herself in the mirror that takes up nearly an entire wall in her room. She feels like she shouldn’t be this nervous about an outfit, but she has no idea what Fish has planned, and the interviews are their last chance to make an impression on any potential sponsors. Plus, despite her protests her stylist for her first Games had stuffed her in the most ridiculous dress, and Nicole didn’t exactly trust any Capitol stylist to not make the same mistake twice.

Just then, a knock on the door snaps Nicole out of her thoughts. Nicole greets Fish and his team, who immediately pounce and begin fixing her up for the television audience. She likes him much more than her last stylist, and when she casually mentions Waverly, his face lights up.

“My Levi is working with her, and he says she’s_ wonderful!” _he exclaims, planting a huge kiss on Nicole’s cheek. 

“She’s pretty great,” Nicole says, blushing furiously. “And I’m going to talk about her tonight. If Caesar asks.”

Fish stops short and puts his hands on Nicole’s shoulders.

“You know that’s a risky decision, right?” He asks. 

Nicole sighs and nods. “Of course I know that. But I have literally nothing left to lose. Plus,” she adds, “I never would have agreed if she wasn’t on board too.”

“Well then, we’re just going to have to do something about that,” Fish says, more to himself than to Nicole. “I’m going to just step out for a moment while you get dressed, darling,” he says, his Capitol accent on full display.

Once Fish leaves Nicole opens the garment bag he left with her to look at the outfit he’s designed for her, and a quiet gasp escapes her as she runs her fingers over the ensemble.

The outfit is made up of three separate pieces, all in the same striped pattern, and in colours that shimmer in shades of the ocean. Nicole slips into the flowing pants and cropped tank that are perfectly fitted to her exact measurements and paired with a long, oversized jacket.

“You. Look. Fabulous.”

Fish reappears out of thin air and gasps when he sees Nicole. “They’re going to love you tonight. Now, let’s finish getting you ready.”

Fish and his assistants buzz around her for another half an hour. They apply more makeup to her face than Nicole would ever apply in real life and tie her hair back in a complicated-looking series of braids, and Nicole spends the entire time simply counting down to when she gets to see Waverly again.

Beth appears just as the team is putting the finishing touches on Nicole and hustles them all out of their apartment, fretting that they’re going to be late.

“Wait,” Fish says to Nicole before they part. “Take these.”

He quickly hands Nicole a pair of identical gold rings with deep blue stones. “For you and her. I’ll be cheering for you.”

***

Backstage, Nicole looks around for any sign of the delegation from District 12 in the pre-interview madness. She excuses herself quickly once she catches sight of Mercedes’ vivid hair and makes her way over to the Earp sisters.

“Waves!”

Waverly turns and looks at the sound of her name, and her face brightens when she sees Nicole. She turns and says something to Wynonna before making her way over to meet Nicole.

“Hey,” Waverly says with a grin.

“We’ve only got a few minutes, but come with me,” Nicole says, taking Waverly’s hand and leading her to a quieter spot. As soon as they’re out of the way, Waverly stands on her tiptoes to kiss Nicole.

“You look incredible,” Nicole breathes.

She’s dressed in a stunning, floor-length gown in a shimmering silver material. The bodice is studded with crystals, and she wears simple jewelry that only adds to the overall effect. Her long hair flows down her back in a half-updo, and Nicole momentarily forgets what she was going to say when she catches sight of the adornments woven throughout.

“I have something for you,” Nicole says quietly, before leaning in for another kiss. She opens her hand, where she’s been clutching the rings tightly. “Fish gave me these before we left to come down here. One for each of us.”

“They’re beautiful,” Waverly says quietly. Nicole slips the ring on her right hand before putting on her own.

“I know that we never really got around to finishing our conversation earlier…” Nicole begins slowly.

“It’s okay to talk about,” Waverly finishes. “I thought that’s what we agreed on.”

“You’re sure?”

Waverly rests her hands on Nicole’s shoulders and looks her square in the eyes. “Positive. What have we got to lose? Plus,” she says with a small shrug, “there’s nothing wrong with milking the Capitol audience for that extra sympathy; there’s_ nothing _they love more than a good, doomed romance. Oh god, that sounded awful,” she finishes with a groan.

“But it’s not _ wrong_,” Nicole sighs. “Gotta give them their show.”

Before returning to their respective delegations, Nicole and Waverly take a moment for themselves. Nicole leans in and kisses Waverly gently, resting her forehead against the other woman’s.

“Y’know,” Waverly says with a smirk, “I’m almost as tall as you in these shoes.”

Nicole kisses the tip of Waverly’s nose quickly. “Almost, but not quite.” She winks as an adorable pout crosses Waverly’s face.

“Hopefully this works,” Nicole sighs. “Or at least helps. But either way…” she trails off as she leans in to kiss Waverly slowly.

“Either way, meet me in the penthouse after?” Waverly finishes, a hint of hope in her voice.

“I’ll make sure I can get away,” Nicole says with a smile. 

In spite of everything they’re up against, Waverly still looks so beautiful that it’s hard for Nicole to focus or prepare for the task at hand.

Panem will be watching, and hopefully they like what they see.

It’s only a few more minutes before Mercedes frantically comes looking for Waverly, and Nicole reluctantly watches her go before returning to her own delegation. She tries to make small talk with Dolls while they wait for things to get going, but finds she just can’t keep her mind off of what’s to come.

Waverly, at the very end of the line of tributes, is only pretending to listen as Wynonna talks about something beside her. She looks down the line of tributes to see if she can get another glimpse of Nicole among the mess of sequins and glitter in the backstage chaos.

Thankfully, her red hair is hard to miss, and Waverly watches as she goes to run a hand through her hair, only stopping when she remembers her hair is intricately braided. Instead, she anxiously adjusts her outfit, and Waverly admires the way it shimmers; it reminds the audience where she comes from without being overly flashy. Waverly, on the other hand, had specifically asked her stylist for an outfit that had nothing to do with District 12. If she was going to die in the arena, she figured, she might as well get to wear a fabulous outfit before she did.

The anthem blares, and all of a sudden, the roar of the crowd fills the entire place, backstage included.

“It’s fucking disgusting,” Wynonna mumbles darkly. “We aren’t even people to them. Most of us are going to die, and they’re treating it like some kind of sporting event.”

“It isn’t fair,” Waverly says with a sigh, looking past her sister toward Nicole.

“Jesus, you really caught feelings for Red, didn’t you?” Wynonna asks, following Waverly’s gaze.

“Maybe,” Waverly says absentmindedly. “I know we barely know each other, but…I can’t shake this feeling that it feels like something bigger.”

“Hey, I’m not judging,” Wynonna says. She takes Waverly by the shoulders and looks her in the eyes. “We could literally_ die_ tomorrow, baby girl. Do what you gotta do. Feel what you feel.”

Waverly hugs her sister tightly before turning her eyes to the screens broadcasting what’s going on up on stage.

Wynonna was right. Everyone is angry. The tributes from the first three districts, all of whom the Capitol adores, don’t mince their words making their thoughts known.

When Nicole’s name is called and she walks up on stage, Waverly’s heart stops for just a moment. Even though she hates the whole charade, she flashes the crowd a dazzling smile anyway, dimples on full display, and the audience goes wild.

“She’s certainly something,” Wynonna says quietly as they listen to Nicole answer Caesar’s standard questions with nothing but poise and elegance. “You definitely could’ve chosen worse.”

“Oh, shut up!” Waverly exclaims, blushing bright red at her sister’s comment_ . _

“Now, Nicole,” Caesar begins, his voice lowering dramatically. “I understand that there have been rumours flying around about you and a certain_ someone…” _

Nicole laughs, throwing her head back, before she answers.

“Well, Caesar,” she begins, leaning in conspiratorially. “Why don’t you tell me a little about what you’ve heard, and I’ll tell you if you’re on the right track?”

Caesar cackles wildly, clearly excited to be playing something of a game with Nicole.

“Well, some little birdies have told me that you’ve been spotted around the ring with our victor from last year, none other than District 12’s WAVERLY EARP!”

“No FUCKING WAY!” Wynonna hisses, shooting death glares at the other tributes who turn to look at Waverly as the crowd roars their approval. “How did that bastard—”

“It’s okay, Wynonna,” Waverly says quietly. “I promise. That’s what we were talking about earlier. And anyway, you’re the one who suggested it first, you know!”

“Fine,” Wynonna grumbles. “I mean, are you hearing that? They’re going nuts for you two out there.”

Waverly turns her attention back to the screen to see that Nicole is blushing furiously at something Caesar’s just said. She adorably buries her face in her hands as he continues his lighthearted teasing, and Waverly just grins like an idiot as she listens.

“Is she some kind of _ witch?! _ ” Wynonna exclaims, grabbing her sister by the shoulders. “Get it _ together _, Earp!”

Minutes after she exits the stage, Nicole is walking back down the line to wait for their final group appearance when Waverly grabs her hand and pulls her in for a kiss. Beth, who’s trying to hustle Nicole out of the way, huffs in frustration at the interruption.

“Nicole we need to g—”

“Oh, would you calm down?” Mercedes snaps at her sister with a roll of her eyes. “As long as we keep them backstage, they’re _ fine _. Just go wait for Xavier, I’ll watch her.”

“You’re amazing, did you know that?” Waverly says quietly as she winds her arms around the taller woman’s neck, completely oblivious to the annoyed glare Beth shoots them both as she flounces off back toward the stage.

“I don’t think Beth is very happy with me,” Nicole says, her voice low as she smirks and rests her forehead against Waverly’s.

“She’s just jealous,” Waverly says, heart racing at the appearance of the dimple in Nicole’s cheek. 

“Get. A. Room.”

Waverly laughs at her sister’s grumbled comment and chooses not to say anything as she watches Wynonna not-so-subtly give Dolls a full once-over as he walks past them, escorted properly by Beth.

As they draw closer and closer to District 12, Waverly’s desire to talk about anything gradually evaporates as her nerves build. Waverly grips Nicole’s hand tightly as her turn approaches; Waverly, as the younger tribute from District 12, is going first. When her name is finally called, Nicole kisses her quickly one more time before giving her a gentle shove towards the stage.

Unlike the year before, when they were only moderately excited, the Quarter Quell audience is especially rowdy. Waverly crosses the brightly lit stage toward Caesar Flickerman, who extends a hand to help her up a couple of small steps before they both take a seat and Waverly lets out a huge, anxious breath.

“Now, Waverly…” Caesar begins in his usual melodramatic way. “As Panem’s newest victor…how does it feel to be back here in the Capitol so _ soon _?”

Waverly laughs nervously before she answers, looking out at where the audience should be behind the massive lights that are shining right in her face.

“It’s certainly something, Caesar,” she says, slipping into the fake voice she hates, but has developed for encounters just like this one.

“You’ve had a fantastic stroke of luck since you’ve been back, have you not?”

Waverly laughs again, this time a little more confidently, and feels herself go red.

“At this point, I think you _ all _ know that,” she says, turning and talking to the audience, who go wild at the interaction.

“Well, what would you say if we asked Miss Haught to come back out here?” Caesar asks, leaning in towards Waverly and wiggling his eyebrows dramatically.

“God, that would be great,” Waverly says quickly, not bothering to hide how relieved the idea made her feel.

Caesar cackles wildly, clearly loving every second, and calls a slightly stunned-looking Nicole back onstage to wild applause from the audience, who go even crazier when Nicole leans in for a quick kiss.

“This is…different,” she murmurs into Waverly’s ear.

“I’m sorry, babe, just go with it,” Waverly says quickly, making sure to hold her microphone far enough away that it doesn’t pick her up. Nicole perches gracefully on the arm of Waverly’s chair and, after she settles again, wraps one arm around her protectively. The inane questions are easier with Nicole beside her, and even in spite of what’s going to happen the next day, Waverly is happy when the interviews are finally over and she can change back into regular clothes.

Everyone is quiet at dinner that night, even as they can hear the raucous sound of what sounds like the entire Capitol out partying in celebration of the Games.

Flask in hand, Wynonna slips out after dinner without a word to anyone, and Waverly doesn’t have to wait long before there’s a quiet knock at the penthouse door. 

There’s only a split second pause between the moment Waverly opens the door and the moment Nicole’s lips are on hers. The kiss is long and slow, and Waverly gently tugs the taller woman forward so she can close the door behind them and properly pull Nicole close to her. She grips the soft material of Nicole’s top as she deepens the kiss, drawing a small noise of contentment from the other woman.

Coming up for air, Nicole breaks away and simply wraps her arms tightly around Waverly.

“Hey,” Waverly murmurs, “It’s gonna be okay.”

As the words come out of her mouth, they feel like a false promise. Tears prick at the corners of her eyes as she and Nicole hold each other tight and she thinks about how unfair it all is.

They’ve only just found each other, but in a matter of hours, both of them could very well be dead.

Clearly, Nicole is thinking along the same lines, because she wraps her arms tightly around Waverly’s waist and buries her face in her neck. Waverly closes her eyes as she melts a little more into the embrace, and tries to imagine what it might feel like if the specter of the Games wasn’t looming over their shoulders.

Without saying a word, Waverly pulls away from Nicole and tugs her gently in the direction of her bedroom.

“Waverly, I don’t know—”

“We don’t have to do anything,” Waverly says softly. “I just…I need to be close to you.”

Leading the way, Waverly strips down to her soft sports bra and shorts before crawling into the very middle of the huge bed. Nicole quickly does the same before climbing in beside Waverly and, without thinking twice, pulls the smaller woman in as close as she can.

The feeling of Waverly’s skin pressed so close to hers is enough to send a shiver rippling down Nicole’s spine. She presses a light kiss to the side of Waverly’s neck and smiles at the goosebumps that erupt on her soft skin.

They spend a long time talking quietly about anything but what the morning will bring, and at some point they fall asleep, limbs still tangled together.

When Mercedes raps lightly on the door the next morning, Waverly wakes with an abrupt gasp, still wrapped in Nicole’s strong arms.

“‘S it time?” Nicole mumbles sleepily.

“Yeah.”

Nicole dresses quickly, needing to get back to her own quarters, and Waverly walks her to the door.

“I’ll see you soon,” Nicole says quietly with one final kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is anyone reading this? If you are, thanks for sticking with me! 
> 
> Come yell at me on [Twitter](twitter.com/unsaltysaltines), if you feel so inclined!


	3. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the present, Nicole and Waverly talk about their next steps together while Wynonna has some news.
> 
> Also, we find out Calamity Jane's origin story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really love these nerds and I can't express how much I appreciate every single one of you who's on this directionless runaway train ride with me.
> 
> I've made [this playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3S15627fXLey1G1MGhxnIZ?si=Ki1mfMFdQz2InDs8JdFolA) to set the mood for this fic, if you're interested in things like that.

“What if we opened a bakery?”

Waverly is lying with her head on Nicole’s bare chest, her cheeks flushed and long hair flowing freely.

“Hm?”

Nicole is barely listening as she lazily runs her fingers through the ends of Waverly’s long waves and runs her eyes over every inch of the other woman’s exposed skin.

“What if we sold your bread? In a shop? That we owned?” Waverly’s lips punctuate each question, blazing a trail up the center of Nicole’s chest until she captures her mouth in a long, slow kiss. Nicole sits up as she straddles her lap and wraps her arms around the redhead’s neck, and a shiver runs the length of Waverly’s spine as the blankets fall away from her bare torso.

“My poor, cold baby,” Nicole says with a laugh. Waverly shivers again and Nicole grins as she pulls the quilt up and over them both.

"_Excuse _ me?!” Waverly says with a smug smirk, “Remind me again which one of us has never experienced a real winter?”

Nicole’s comeback is interrupted by a wet muzzle shoving itself between her and Waverly, Calamity making it known that it’s time for breakfast. Waverly yelps as Calamity begins licking any exposed skin she can reach, and Nicole laughs again as she feels Waverly’s skin break out in goosebumps under her hands. 

“I’ll take her out,” Waverly grumbles as she untangles herself from Nicole, “I _ guess_. I need to get up anyway, since Wynonna will be here soon.”

Waverly hops out of bed and foregoes her own shirt in favour of stealing Nicole’s sweatshirt that she’d discarded earlier, a satisfied grin appearing on her face as she pulls it over her head. 

“You’re lucky you’re cute!” Nicole calls after the brunette.

* * *

“You never answered my question earlier.”

“About the bakery?”

Nicole hands Waverly a cup of coffee and sits down across from her at the kitchen table. 

“Yeah,” Waverly says, suddenly unsure of herself. “What d’you think? I know we don’t really need the money, but—”

“—I love it.” Nicole says quickly. 

It’s been long enough now that Nicole is growing restless. She doesn’t know where she belongs when until recently, her entire life had been spent working to support a family that didn’t support her.

Waverly, though…she’s incredible to watch. Her community has welcomed her back into the fold with open arms, and Nicole with her. Like everyone else in the districts, they’re trying to rebuild all that the Capitol took from them, and Waverly is doing everything she can to help. Nobody knows what comes next, but they’re all finding their way, somehow.

“Sweetie, what’re you thinking about?” Waverly asks, breaking into Nicole’s thoughts. She stands up and comes around the table to wrap her arms around Nicole’s shoulders from behind, peppering the side of her face with kisses as she does.

Nicole sighs. “Too much.”

“I know it hasn’t been easy for you, starting your life over out here.” Waverly says quietly. “Thank you for making it work.”

“I never thought I’d like living so far from the ocean, but this view isn’t bad,” Nicole says with a cheeky smirk. “I’m just glad I’m…here with you,” she adds, wincing at the clumsiness of the sentiment.

“You sure you’re okay with me going today? I can tell Wynonna—”

“_Go_, Waverly.”

“I just know that yesterday was hard…”

“You and Wynonna go hunting every week. Don’t cancel on her because of me, or I’ll never hear the end of it. I promise, I’m _ fine _ today.”

As though she’s been summoned by the sound of her name, Wynonna barges through their front door.

“Let’s fuckin’ _ go_, baby girl!” She exclaims, gesturing wildly with her bow. “Sorry to steal your wife away, Haught sauce, but those turkeys aren’t gonna shoot themselves.”

Waverly rolls her eyes at her sister, but leans in to kiss Nicole before grabbing her own bow and following Wynonna out the door.

* * *

Waverly fills Wynonna in on the morning’s conversation while they search for the perfect spot to wait for game to cross their path.

“You two are disgusting, you realize that right?” Wynonna hisses as she takes careful aim with her bow. “_Ouch!_” she yelps as Waverly elbows her in the ribs and she loses her shot. “Damn it, Waverly, that turkey was _ right there!_”

Waverly makes a face at her older sister as they both stand up from their spot in the brush. “I think it’s a great idea. It’s something to _ do _. You should try it sometime.”

“I do stuff!” Wynonna exclaims as she follows Waverly further along the trail into the woods.

“Drinking all day and sleeping with whoever crosses your path isn’t a way to _ live_, Wynonna. We’ve got our lives back, we can do what we _ want_.”

“Well, have I got some news for you, baby girl.”

* * *

“_Wynonna is pregnant!!_”

Waverly barges through the front door, startling Nicole so badly that she nearly loses her balance and ends up on the kitchen floor.

“Hello to you too?” Nicole says, grabbing the counter for support. “Can you repeat that, baby?”

Waverly kicks off her boots and drops her bow and quiver beside the front door before she properly greets Nicole with a kiss. “I _ said_…Wynonna is pregnant!”

Nicole whistles and raises her eyebrows in surprise. “That’s…something. Does she…know who the father is?” She asks slowly.

Waverly shrugs. “She was being all shifty about it, but she’s been spending an awful lot of time with Doc Holliday lately; I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s his.”

“Well, whoever the father is, that kid's gonna have the best aunties in the world,” Nicole says with a grin.

“I invited her over for dinner later,” Waverly says with another kiss. “I figured we have time to go down to the Hob to find something delicious and celebratory?”

Nicole hopes Waverly doesn’t notice the discomfort she’s sure flashes across her face as she nods in agreement. She feels like an idiot for being affected by this much anxiety when she knows there’s literally nothing to worry about.

“Can we make it a quick trip? So I’ll have time to make something nice,” she adds quickly.

“Of course.”

Waverly stands on her tiptoes to give Nicole a quick kiss on the cheek, entirely not fooled by the reasoning behind Nicole’s request. She wishes Nicole would talk to her about what bothers her, rather than pretending she’s okay for Waverly’s sake.

As they walk the short distance to the market, Waverly is keenly aware of the tight grip Nicole has on her hand, and she gives the redhead’s hand a small squeeze of what she hopes comes across as reassurance. Nicole looks over at her and smiles softly before stopping to turn Waverly towards her. She cradles Waverly’s face in her hands as she kisses her gently, and Waverly pulls away with a soft smile.

“What was that for?”

“Just because,” Nicole says quietly. “I love you, you know that?”

“I love you too,” Waverly says before kissing the taller woman again.

* * *

Nicole can feel Waverly’s eyes on her, as well as Calamity Jane’s, as she unpacks their grocery bags. 

She’s always wondered how much Waverly notices, but doesn’t directly comment on—one of her strengths in the arena, both times, was her keen observation skills, and Nicole is no fool. There’s no way she doesn’t have questions.

“Waverly, what’s up?” Nicole asks, pivoting to face her girlfriend.

“Is something wrong?” Waverly asks as she walks into the kitchen. “I got the feeling earlier that there’s something you’re not telling me.”

Nicole sighs and runs a hand through her hair. She fills the kettle at the sink and sets it on the stove to boil, buying herself some time.

“Baby, I know what you’re doing…you’re stalling,” Waverly says gently, with a soft smile. 

Her heart sinking slightly, Nicole sits down at the kitchen table across from her girlfriend and meets her warm hazel eyes.

“Is it something I did?” Waverly asks.

“No, of course not!” Nicole exclaims. “I just didn’t want to bother you with even more of my own stuff.”

Because since they met, Waverly has spent so much time and emotional energy supporting Nicole. There’s an ever-present voice at the back of her mind that keeps reminding her that there’s got to be a point where Waverly will realize she isn’t worth her energy anymore. At this point, it just seems ridiculous to tell her that all of a sudden, the simple prospect of going anywhere where people _ might _ stare at her is enough to make her want to hide away under the bed.

Nicole clings tightly to the loose, flowing fashions of District 4 because they hide a multitude of sins. Her height and her hair already set her apart in a crowd, and she doesn’t need people staring at her slightly uneven gait, wondering what’s wrong with her. Even if they don’t ask about it, she sees the way people’s eyes flick down to her leg, always curious about what could have possibly happened to cripple an otherwise perfectly healthy young woman—a victor of the Hunger Games, no less.

After a long pause while she collects her thoughts, Nicole explains this newfound anxiety as best she can. Waverly’s eyes widen as she talks, and Nicole feels her face grow redder and redder.

“I’m so sorry!” Waverly exclaims. “I shouldn’t have made you go out earlier!”

“Waves, you didn’t _ make _ me do anything,” Nicole says gently. “I’m an adult; I chose to go with you, even though I knew I would be uncomfortable. This is just something…new and dumb that I’m trying to work out.”

“It may be new, but it’s not _ dumb_,” Waverly says, raising her eyebrows at the redhead. She stands up and walks around the table to wrap her arms around Nicole’s neck. “And I want to help you however I can.”

“I don’t really know what I need,” Nicole says, running her hands gently over Waverly’s biceps, “but I know that you and Wynonna are the only people who have never looked at me or treated me any differently. So just…keep doing that for now, okay?”

Waverly tosses her head back as she laughs, her hair falling off her shoulders and down her back.

“You should wear it down more often,” Nicole says softly. “Your hair.”

Waverly’s cheeks flush bright pink and she runs her fingers through her long hair self-consciously. Nicole smirks at the brunette—who’s at a loss for words under her gaze—and stands up so she can kiss her properly.

“You do realize that we’ve still got a whole celebration dinner to make, you _ tease _,” Waverly says with another laugh.

“_Fine, _” Nicole sighs in mock exasperation. “I’ll get started, so I can take this damn thing off.”

“Is your leg hurting you again?” Waverly asks, her hand dropping to Nicole’s thigh. 

Nicole nods slightly, covering Waverly’s hand with hers. “Too much walking around on it, I think. For something that’s supposed to make my life _ easier _, it’s awfully temperamental,” she grumbles with an exaggerated roll of her eyes.

“You really are _ so _ stubborn,” Waverly says as Nicole starts pulling mixing bowls from the cabinets. “You realize Shapiro is _ one _ video call away, right? And she can probably help you?”

“It _ fits _ me just fine, baby,” the redhead grumbles as she ties her hair back and rolls up her sleeves. “I just did too much. Plus,” she says, her voice growing quiet as she turns to the counter, “You know I hate wearing it anyway, Waves.”

Her face falls slightly, and Waverly kisses Nicole’s cheek and rests her head on her shoulder. “I know it sucks,” she murmurs.

“Sometimes I just need to grumble about it, y’know?” Nicole says. “But I’ll be fine.” She pastes a smile on her face and kisses Waverly quickly. “Now, if you want this to be done in time for dinner, you’re gonna have to stop being so cute. It’s distracting me.”

Once she’s handed control of the kitchen over to Waverly, Nicole goes into the bedroom to grab a sweater to combat the chill beginning to creep into the air. Sitting on the end of the bed to pull it over her head, she pauses and lets out a small sigh of relief as she takes her weight off her leg.

“Screw it,” she mumbles to herself as she hikes up one leg of her pants and begins undoing her prosthetic. The crutches may be awkward to use, but while they were in the thick of the rebellion there was no other option available, so she got used to them.

Plus, she prefers bumping into furniture every now and then to being achy and uncomfortable in her own home.

To help ease some of the discomfort, Nicole slowly massages her leg, her fingers lingering over the long scar that’s the only indication there was ever something there in the first place.

A curious snout pokes its way into the bedroom, and Nicole’s concerns are temporarily forgotten. She watches as Calamity sticks her muzzle in the room as far as the door will allow and simply stops there, waiting patiently for Nicole to open the door and let her in.

The dog won’t enter a room unless the door is opened for her. She can’t tell if it’s because Calamity simply hasn’t figured out how to do it herself or if it’s because she’s a bit of a diva, but either way Nicole thinks it’s hilarious. Nicole stops moving for a minute, just to see what she’ll do, which draws a melodramatic whine from the dog.

Waverly laughs from the other side of the door and opens it wide with an enthusiastic, “Get ‘er!,” and Calamity bounds into the room with a playful bark.

“C’mere, girl,” Nicole says, patting the bed beside her. Calamity trots over and rests her face on the bed, tail wagging, and Nicole scratches her ears intently until the dog’s balance gives out and she nearly falls over.

* * *

_ One afternoon, Nicole and Waverly are startled by the sound of something loud falling over out in the yard. _

_ “I’ll go see what’s up,” Nicole says as she gets up from the couch. _

_ Instead of finding a raccoon rummaging in their trash, there’s a skinny, skittish-looking dog rummaging around, looking for food in a garbage can that she’s managed to tip over. Nicole can’t squat down to get on the dog’s level, but she bends down as she approaches and and calls her over gently. The dog emerges and stares apprehensively at Nicole with huge brown eyes. Patches of white and brown stand out against her black fur, and as she starts walking toward Nicole, Nicole’s heart lurches. _

_ She’s missing her right front leg. _

_ “Hey girl,” Nicole says quietly, her voice shaking ever so slightly. “It’s okay.” _

_ The dog sniffs Nicole’s hand cautiously, searching for any hint of a snack. Her tail wags furiously as she sniffs Nicole’s empty hand and moves on to licking her face. Nicole scratches her ears and chin, and the dog immediately plops down in front of her, her search for food entirely forgotten. _

_ “Baby, everything okay out here? Wha…who’s this?” _

_ Waverly’s voice changes immediately from concern to delight as she turns the corner and sees the dog. _

_ “I think someone’s taken a liking to you,” Waverly says with a laugh. _

_ “She was just rummaging around in the trash; she must be a stray,” Nicole says quietly. “But who could leave a sweet girl like you out on the street, hm?” she says to the dog. _

_ Waverly crouches down so she’s at the dog’s level, her hand extended, and as the dog tentatively comes to investigate Waverly notices her leg. _

_ “She’s—” _

_ “—a tripod,” Nicole finishes with a huge grin, dimples on full display. “I think she’s ours now.” _

_ Nicole quickly christens the dog Calamity Jane, and Waverly decides to try giving her a bath in the yard. Thinking it’s a game, she soaks them both as she escapes over and over. _

_ Waverly watches Nicole toss her head back and laugh loudly as she’s attacked with kisses again while towelling Calamity dry. It’s free and uninhibited, and so much of the tension Nicole carries around with her every day evaporates just for a moment. _

_ Later that afternoon, after a quick walk over to Wynonna’s, Waverly walks through the front door and stops short at what she finds. _

_ Calamity is snuggled up close to Nicole, her front paw resting on Nicole’s chest, and they’re both sound asleep. One of Nicole’s arms is wrapped protectively around the dog, and the other is tucked beneath her head like a pillow. Rather than disturb them, Waverly spreads a blanket out over both of them and watches them both shift in their sleep. _

_ Nicole blinks sleepily up at her, and Waverly leans in to kiss her quickly. _

_ “She _ loves _ you,” Waverly says quietly, trying not to wake the dog. She kisses Nicole again quickly and gently strokes one of Calamity’s velvety ears before leaving them to go back to sleep and deciding to lie down for a nap herself. _

_ Waverly closes the door behind her, and Calamity looks around sleepily at the disturbance. Nicole gently scratches behind her ears, and sees the dog immediately start falling back asleep. _

_ “I bet you haven’t had a warm place to sleep in a long time,” Nicole says quietly. “But we’ve got you now.” _

_ She’s amazed by how Calamity has managed to survive this long on her own. Clearly, she’s been successful enough, but Nicole wonders if she’s even old enough to have lived through a winter yet. Looking at the place where her leg should be, Nicole is surprised by the emotion that wells up in her chest. _

_ “Could you tell, hm?” She asks the sleepy animal in her arms. “Could you tell I’m just like you?” _

* * *

Nicole throws a stick for Calamity out in the yard and grins as she watches the dog take off after it joyfully. She laughs as Calamity tries to stop a little too short when she reaches the stick and tumbles over in a mess of legs.

“You okay?”

Waverly appears in the front door and looks over at Nicole, who’s sitting on the swing and watching the dog entertain herself.

“This dog is ridiculous,” Nicole says with a grin, still looking straight ahead. “You _ just _ missed her completely wipe out chasing that stick.”

Waverly threads her arm through Nicole’s as she sinks down beside her and rests her head on the taller woman’s shoulder.

“You didn’t answer my question, Nicole,” she says, her voice gentle.

She’s always gotten the feeling that Nicole doesn’t tell her everything. Her girlfriend’s stubborn streak is a mile wide—a perfect match for her own—and she’s often entirely too quick to dismiss her own problems, which is exactly the feeling Waverly has now.

Nicole sighs roughly and looks down at where Waverly has gently threaded their fingers together now.

“I’ll be fine, Waves.”

“It’s just that you…” Waverly sighs and gently uses two fingers to turn Nicole’s face toward her. “You’re always right here when it’s hard for me to cope. And you always seem to know _ exactly _ what I need. I know you haven’t had a lot of people in your corner…but I want to be here for you the same way you are for me.”

Nicole breathes in deeply as Waverly wraps her arms around her and searches for the right words.

“I wish I…didn’t feel _ broken _ all the time. Even when things are going great, there’s always this nagging little voice right here—” she gestures vaguely over one shoulder “—telling me I’ll never be normal again.”

“Oh, Nicole…” Waverly sighs before gently kissing the other woman on the cheek.

“And I _ know_,” Nicole continues, her voice dropping in volume, “I know that you just want to help, but—”

“—but I haven’t been through what you have.”

“I’m not trying to say I’ve got it worse,” Nicole adds, her eyes widening, “but it’s just...different. I go to sleep and—” Nicole’s voice cracks, “—I can _ hear _ my legs splintering under me. That’s the worst part. I can deal with the pain. It’s the _ sound _ I can’t seem to let go.”

Nicole shudders, and Waverly is seized with the urge to hold her tight and never let go.

Because Nicole’s screams echo in her own nightmares. The nightmares where Wynonna can’t stop the bleeding, where they don’t get out in time, where Waverly is helpless to do anything but watch as Nicole slips away in her arms.

“I dream about losing you all the time,” Waverly says, her voice almost a whisper against Nicole’s neck. “About that night...everything that could have gone wrong…” Waverly pulls away and gently strokes Nicole’s cheek with her thumb. “I don’t know what I would have done.”

“You would have moved on,” Nicole says softly. “And you wouldn’t have to put up with this…burden.”

“Nicole Rayleigh Haught.”

Waverly firmly takes the other woman’s face in both of her hands and looks her square in the eyes. “If I _ ever _ hear you refer to yourself as a ‘burden’ again…I swear, I’ll—”

“—What?” There’s a mischievous spark in Nicole’s eyes as a smirk slowly crosses her face. “What’re you gonna do, Earp?”

“Don’t ruin the _ moment! _ ” Waverly exclaims, trying and failing to contain a laugh as Nicole distracts her with kisses all over her jawline and neck. “I’m _ serious! _”

A curious Calamity runs up the porch steps, nearly tripping as she goes, which only makes them both laugh harder. Nicole reaches a hand out so she has one arm wrapped around Waverly and her other hand can scratch Calamity’s ears just the way she likes.

“I think she knew,” Waverly says quietly, once their laughter dies down.

“Hm?”

“Calamity knew,” Waverly repeats matter-of-factly. “She may have needed a home, but she knew it was _ you _ who needed her, so she showed up in our front yard. Watching you with her…it’s like she takes this weight off of you that I don’t even think _ you _ know you’re carrying.”

Almost like she’s heard her cue, Calamity rises up on her hind legs so she can rest her single front paw in Nicole’s lap, brown eyes huge as she waits patiently for attention. When Nicole doesn’t immediately move to pet her, Calamity’s long tongue darts out and finds her hand to remind her what she’s supposed to be doing.

In spite of herself, Nicole laughs shakily, even though she feels close to tears. 

“See?” Waverly says quietly. “She knows _ exactly _ what to do.” She kisses Nicole’s temple softly and sees the dimples appear in her cheek as she smiles. “She may trip over her own legs and bark at leaves in the wind, but…”

“…but she’s just the _ best_,” Nicole says simply.

Waverly rakes her eyes over the redhead as she falls silent, lost in their dog’s eyes. As she watches, she sees a wicked smirk once again find its way onto Nicole’s face.

“For real, baby. What were you gonna do to me?”

“You’re ridiculous!”

“—Because I’m pretty sure I could still kick your ass, you know.”

“Oh really?” Waverly asks slowly. She rises from her spot beside Nicole and nudges Calamity out of the way so she can straddle the redhead’s lap. “D’you _ really _ wanna make that bet?”

Waverly runs both hands deliciously through Nicole’s hair before letting one fall to her neck. A shiver runs the length of Nicole’s spine, but she tries not to show it as Waverly’s fingers ghost over the sensitive skin of her neck and she captures Nicole’s mouth in a long, lingering kiss.

Nicole hums in satisfaction before pulling back and meeting Waverly’s eyes. 

“Oh, I’m _ certain _ I want to make that bet,” she says, her voice dropping into a low register that would have turned Waverly’s legs into jelly if she weren’t already _ on _her knees. Nicole smirks as she slips one hand under Waverly’s sweater and gently drags her nails across the soft skin beneath. “I might only have one leg, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still bring you to your knees.”

Nicole tosses her head back and bursts out laughing at her own stupid line, as well as the expression on Waverly’s face.

“Did you j—did you just crack a _ joke _ while you’re trying to _ seduce _ me?!” Waverly exclaims indignantly.

“Did it work?”

Waverly doesn’t have to answer her for Nicole to know that it did—her cheeks are flushed, her pupils are dilated, and her breathing is growing heavier, not to mention she seems to be short-circuiting entirely.

“You can _ laugh_, you know,” Nicole teases, raking her nails across Waverly’s back one more time for good measure, just to see her squirm.

“I—you—“

Waverly cuts off her own spluttering by kissing Nicole again so deeply, she starts to feel lightheaded. She sighs against Nicole’s mouth as she feels the hand that was on her back slowly begin to migrate up her ribcage, Nicole’s nails igniting her every nerve.

“How long until you have to get back in the kitchen?” Waverly breathes. 

Nicole grins and raises one eyebrow playfully. “_Actually_, I think it might be time.”

Waverly groans in frustration as she untangles herself from Nicole’s lap. Still smirking, Nicole gets up and, with one more kiss, goes back inside.

Humming to herself, Nicole sits and pulls back the towels that she’s used to cover two bowls resting on the kitchen counter. She breathes in the fermented scent of her sourdough as she tips the perfectly risen dough out onto the floured counter and quickly shapes it into two loaves. With those set aside, she turns her attention to dessert—an old sweet bread recipe she’s been experimenting with, and that tonight she plans to fill with a chocolate and sweet cheese filling that she’s sure everyone will love.

“Baby, that looks so _ fancy_.”

Waverly appears at Nicole’s side as she’s finishing shaping the sweet loaf. Nicole offers her the bowl holding the last remnants of the filling for her to try, and she happily accepts. Nicole watches the brunette’s face light up as she tries it; her eyes widen with pure happiness, and Nicole’s heart swells with pride. As long as Waverly enjoys it, nothing else matters.

“Good?”

The other woman doesn’t answer, but instead captures Nicole’s mouth in a kiss. Nicole smiles into the kiss and swivels so she can wrap her arms around Waverly’s waist and pull her closer.

“Delicious,” Waverly murmurs against Nicole’s lips.

“Y’know…” Nicole says between kisses, “the dough needs time to rise again…”

“Gimme five minutes,” Waverly says quickly before disappearing into the bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Come yell with me and/or at me on Twitter!](twitter.com/unsaltysaltines)


	4. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang's been rescued from the arena, but the healing's barely begun.
> 
> Also, things get a little sexy for Wayhaught.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bet you thought I'd forgotten about this one, eh?
> 
> Tbh, due to the fact that we're all living in a damn dystopian novel, I've been having a bit of trouble working on this fic. But here's an update, as a treat!
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> [There's a playlist for this fic, should you be interested!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3S15627fXLey1G1MGhxnIZ?si=PpwB0522TGGrh2KE5ld-2A)

The clearing in the woods fills with a blinding light and suddenly, Waverly’s arms aren’t around her anymore. There’s noise everywhere and the pain is worse than ever.

_ Am I dying? _ Nicole wonders. _ Is this what it feels like to die? _

_ “Nicole?” _Waverly’s frantic voice is distant through the thick fog starting to fill her brain. _ “You’re gonna be just fine, okay? Just hang on for us.” _

Nicole tries to say something, anything, but she can’t get the words out. 

The last thing she remembers are Waverly’s lips on hers before everything goes black.

***

Waverly rounds on her sister the instant she’s sure Nicole is going to be okay. Or at least…safe.

“WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING?!”

Dolls has to hold her back so Waverly doesn’t beat Wynonna senseless. Wynonna just crosses her arms and stares at her baby sister while she yells incoherent half-sentences at her for several minutes. She doesn’t respond, just lets Waverly tire herself out yelling.

“You done?” Wynonna asks once Waverly’s shouts trail off. “Can I explain myself now, or are you gonna try clawing your sister’s eyes out again?”

Waverly shoots Wynonna a death glare, but sinks down in the closest seat to her and tries to keep calm while Wynonna explains herself.

“There’s a rebellion out there, baby girl. Don’t tell me you didn’t see it on the Victory Tour. After they announced the twist in this year’s Quell…I couldn’t just let them send us _ back_! Not without some kind of plan.

I’d already made contact with Dolls because we’d met in the Capitol and kind of…gotten to know what was going on. He had connections high up already, which is how we landed this sweet ride out of here—Chetri’s in the cockpit, he used to work in Capitol tech. Turns out, there’s a rebel base hiding in plain sight out on the outskirts of District 1.”

“District 1?! Are you_ CRAZY?_!” Waverly exclaims.

Wynonna just shrugs. “Apparently they’ve been going strong out there for almost a year. Nobody in the Capitol has even thought to keep an eye out for rebels in their precious District 1; they just assume that everyone there is a diehard loyalist. Not to mention, the base is so far out there it’s practically in the Wilds.”

“I think…I need to go lie down,” Waverly says quietly, a sick feeling starting to settle in her stomach. “I’m not feeling too great…”

As she stands up to leave, Waverly feels her knees begin to buckle beneath her, and before she can hit the ground, she blacks out entirely.

***

When Waverly wakes up again, Wynonna is right there with a hand on her shoulder, stopping her from moving.

“Before you attack me again, baby girl,” she says, “hear me out.”

Waverly lets her sister help her up from the floor and follows her into what can only be described as some kind of command center, where Dolls is already deep in conversation with an unfamiliar brunette. He looks up when they enter, and Wynonna quickly greets him.

“Look, baby girl,” Wynonna begins. “We’ve been in on this for a long time, and it’s been killing me to not let you in on it.”

“_You’ve been WHAT?! _”

“I mean, obviously we didn’t think _ we _ were gonna get tossed back in the arena!” Wynonna exclaims. “But Waverly…” she sighs. “The second your name got called in the Reaping last year I knew I had to do something. I couldn’t lose any more.”

A muscle twitches in her sister’s jaw, and Waverly is reminded once again of the way Wynonna carries the weight of every tribute she’s lost. She sighs and softens, but only slightly.

“Who is this, anyway?” Waverly asks, gesturing to the unfamiliar brunette in the room.

“This,” Wynonna says, “is Kevin. They _ were _ Head Gamemaker and _ are _ the reason any of us made it out of there alive.”

“Nice of you to join us, Earp,” the brunette—Kevin, apparently—says brusquely. 

“_Full _ offense, but how do we know we can trust them?” Waverly asks the room, before turning to lock eyes with Kevin. “After all, it was _ your _ arena that just tried to kill us!”

“You’re right. You don’t know if you can trust me,” they say matter-of-factly, “but I’m the best chance you’ve got for bringing those bastards down.” They raise their eyebrows, expression totally unaffected, and Waverly decides that it’s not worth fighting.

Wynonna’s trust isn’t earned easily. If she’s placing her trust and their survival in this ex-Gamemaker’s hands…Waverly figures she can at least try and cooperate.

“Wynonna says we’re on our way to District 1,” Waverly sighs. “What’s the plan from there?”

“We’re gonna get you all out there into the districts. Morale is low, people need some kind of inspiration, so why not the victors who escaped the arena? You four are going to put a face on this movement. And you,” Kevin says, turning to Waverly, “I don’t think you realize how much they love you out there.”

“Me?” Waverly stares at them in disbelief.

“You bet, cupcake.”

“You didn’t see the shit I did last year, baby girl,” Wynonna pipes in. “I had no problem getting you sponsors, because they loved you in the Capitol then, too. And now, you and Haught Pants have this whole ‘star-crossed lovers’ thing going.” Wynonna rolls her eyes melodramatically, but gives Waverly’s arm a comforting squeeze at the same time.

“Exactly!” Kevin exclaims. “How is she doing?” They add quietly.

“Have you not been paying attention to your own Games?!” Waverly cries. “She might _ die!_”

Kevin’s steely expression softens slightly at Waverly’s outburst. “We brought Eliza Shapiro with us, and she’s the best doctor we have, okay?”

“I…fine. Can I see her?” Waverly asks, suddenly feeling exhausted. She needs a moment of quiet.

***

Waverly meets the doctor outside the passenger hold that’s acting as a makeshift medical bay. Shapiro has a brisk, no-nonsense demeanour that she immediately finds comforting, her sharp features accentuated by her sleek blonde bun and formfitting black uniform. 

“She’s been asking for you,” Shapiro says once Waverly has introduced herself. “When she’s conscious, that is.”

“How…_ is _ she?” Waverly asks quietly. “We tried everything we could out there, but she went downhill _ so _ fast—” Waverly’s voice breaks

“She’s in rough shape,” the doctor says honestly, setting a gentle hand on Waverly’s arm. “I’ve started her on some antibiotics, but I want to sedate her for the rest of the trip. It’ll take some of the stress off her body until I can get her into surgery and get a good look at that leg. She wanted to see you first.”

“I’m not a doctor, but her leg looks pretty awful.”

Shapiro gives Waverly a small nod. “I _ really _ wish this weren’t the case…but at first glance I’m not sure we’ll be able to save it. Our medical facilities are well-stocked, but…”

Her voice trails off, and Waverly can only sigh deeply as she follows the doctor into the room to see Nicole. 

Waverly’s heart sinks as she walks towards the redhead, whose body is strapped down on a stretcher. She can see the IV protruding from her arm, and even though she’d literally just seen her, Waverly thinks she looks smaller, vulnerable.

“Hey…”

Nicole’s voice is weak, and the smile she tries to offer isn’t much stronger. Every breath is shallow and laboured, and her hand is cold as Waverly takes it in her own. Waverly leans over to kiss Nicole’s forehead, and feels just how warm the skin beneath her lips still is.

“Where are we…?”

It takes a lot of energy for her to get the words out. As Nicole’s eyes search their surroundings, Waverly sees they’re glazed over and unfocused.

“We’re on our way to safety, you’re going to be fine,” Waverly says quietly. “Save your strength, Nicole.”

“My leg…”

“Nicole?”

Eliza’s voice cuts her off, her tone softer now that she’s talking to a patient. “Are you ready?”

Nicole nods her consent, but there’s fear in her eyes.

“Waverly…don’t let me die.”

Nicole’s voice shakes, her eyes are wide with anxiety, and Waverly wishes there was anything she could do to help.

“I’ll be here the whole time,” Waverly says. “I promise. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

She leans in to kiss Nicole one last time before her eyelids grow heavy and she appears to fall fast asleep.

The trip isn’t long, only a couple of hours. Waverly allows Shapiro to check her own vitals, but she’s glad the doctor keeps largely to herself and doesn’t try to engage Waverly in any sort of conversation.

There’s just nothing she wants to talk about. She doesn’t care where they’re going anymore, or why, or what exactly she’s going to do once they arrive.

All that matters is making sure Nicole survives to see the other side of it.

***

The hovercraft lands less-than-gently some time later, and when the landing jostles the stretcher Nicole, who’s barely conscious, screams in pain. Waverly grabs her hand and holds on tight as her scream quiets to tearful moans.

“I’m sorry, baby,” Waverly murmurs. “You’re doing great, okay? Just a little longer.”

Waverly’s presence beside her is the only thing Nicole focuses on as she’s moved out of the hold of the hovercraft. It’s the only thing that takes her mind even the slightest bit off of the blinding pain she’s in.

_ Except… _

“W-Waves…” Nicole gasps.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Something’s wrong. I can’t feel my leg.”

Waverly’s eyes go wide and Nicole squeezes her eyes shut as she yells for the doctor.

“_Shit,_” Shapiro hisses, reappearing by Nicole’s side. “I was hoping to run some diagnostics before taking you to surgery, but we need to go _ now_.”

Waverly goes with her until they reach the base’s small surgical unit and she can’t go any further.

“You’re gonna be okay,” Waverly murmurs as she leans in for a final, gentle kiss. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

***

Nicole returns to reality slowly, as the medication wears off, and immediately she notices that something is off. Wrong.

With shaking hands, Nicole moves the thin blankets aside on her lap, unable to reconcile the pain she feels in her shattered leg with the sight of her…_ lack _ of a shattered leg. 

She gingerly brushes her fingertips over the thick layer of gauze that’s acting as a barrier between what’s left of the leg and the pillow it’s resting on, expecting to feel skin but only coming up with bandages and empty space. Looking over, she sees Waverly curled up in a chair beside the bed in what can’t be a very comfortable position.

“Waverly?”

At the sound of Nicole’s voice, Waverly’s head snaps up and she looks over in Nicole’s direction.

“You’re awake,” she sighs, relieved. “Finally. Don’t try to move around too much, okay?”

“W-what happened?” Nicole says slowly, the words heavy on her tongue thanks to the medication that’s still lingering around the edges of her consciousness.

Waverly’s face falls slightly, and Nicole watches her gaze flick down to her leg and back up again.

“There was…too much damage. By the time we were out of danger, and by the time you got into surgery…Nicole, I’m so sorry,” Waverly says, her voice breaking. “There was no other option. If there had been any other way, I _ swear— _”

“Hey.” Nicole cuts her off gently, reaching for Waverly’s hand. “It’s not your fault, Waves. I’m not stupid, I saw how bad it was.”

“I’m just glad you’re _ alive_,” Waverly says quietly, pressing a gentle kiss to the back of Nicole’s hand.

They lapse into silence, Waverly gently rubbing the back of Nicole’s hand. Nicole concentrates on the gentle sensation as she tries to fight the panic rising in her chest. She closes her eyes and leans her head back, and Waverly feels her hand begin to quiver. She perches herself carefully on the edge of the bed facing Nicole so she can look at her a little better.

“Hey,” Waverly says quietly. “Tell me what’s going through your mind right now.”

With a deep breath, Nicole opens her eyes again and looks down at where Waverly’s still holding on to her hand.

“I…I don’t know _ what _to think,” Nicole says, feeling her chest start to tighten. “This is…so much.”

“I can’t even imagine,” Waverly says.

A quiet knock on the door interrupts them, and they both look up at the sound. The doctor Nicole vaguely remembers from earlier opens the door

“Nicole, I’m Eliza Shapiro,” the doctor says, extending a hand in introduction. “I’ve been taking care of you. I need to examine you now that you’re awake, okay?”

Nicole nods and gives Waverly’s hand a gentle squeeze.

“I think—and baby, this has _ nothing _ to do with you—I need to be alone? Just until the exam is done,” Nicole adds quickly. “I just…”

She needs to see it on her own.

“It’s okay,” Waverly says, cutting her off gently. “I’ll be right outside, okay?” she says before kissing Nicole softly. She greets the doctor quietly as she goes and closes the door behind her.

“How are you feeling?” Shapiro asks as she checks Nicole’s vital signs.

“Fine…I guess,” Nicole says. “All things considered.”

“We did the best we could with what limited resources we have here,” the doctor says, all business, as she moves to check Nicole’s left leg. “You tore a ligament in this knee, but it should be okay in a few weeks. It was your other leg that took the brunt of the impact. Wynonna said you fell…out of a tree?”

A strange chill travels the length of Nicole’s spine at the mention of the leg that’s no longer there.

“Yeah.” Nicole says quietly. She winces as the doctor examines her immobilized knee, but continues talking. “I was climbing up to try and get a better vantage point so we could set up camp, but I—” her voice breaks. “I slipped.”

Shapiro sighs and perches on the end of the small bed. “I truly am sorry, Nicole. By the time you got into surgery, there was just no way to save it.”

“H-how?” Nicole asks, attempting to keep her voice steady. “The last thing I remember, it was starting to go numb.”

“Compartment syndrome,” the doctor says simply. “The tissue in your leg was starting to die. Between the way it broke—shattered, really—and that, it was the only option we had. _ But_,” she adds gently, “if you’d arrived even another hour later, we probably wouldn’t be here talking at all. Waverly and Wynonna told me everything, and I have no doubt it was Wynonna’s quick interventions that kept you alive long enough to make it out.”

Nicole sighs deeply and looks up at the ceiling, willing herself not to break down in tears in front of the doctor. 

It’s not news to her that her leg shattered—the sickening crunch when she landed was enough evidence of that—but nothing about the aftermath feels real. Not when she can hardly _ move _ without pain.

“Nicole, it’s okay_,_” Eliza says, softening slightly. “You’re allowed to be upset. This is a lot to take in all at once.”

Squeezing her eyes shut to fight the tears threatening to spill over, Nicole takes a breath to steady herself and ask one burning question.

“What happens now?”

“The priority right now is making sure the infection clears up, and you’re well on your way to that. Once your other leg is ready to bear weight, you’ll be able to get around a lot easier, but I’m not gonna lie to you—these first few weeks are gonna be uncomfortable.”

Nicole sighs shakily, unable to formulate a proper response, and it’s another minute before Eliza says anything again.

“I need to check the incision and change those bandages, okay?”

Nicole just nods and adjusts her position so she can see clearly as the doctor gently begins to remove the bandages. She needs to see exactly what’s going on.

As she gets a look at the still-fresh incision site, Nicole starts to feel lightheaded, almost as though she’s going to pass out right then and there. She wishes desperately that Waverly was there to hold her hand because it’s jarring, to say the _ absolute _ least, to look down and see a long line of neat stitches where her right leg should be.

Just as Eliza finishes tightly rebandaging her leg—or what’s left of it—there’s a sharp knock at the door, followed immediately by Wynonna barging in.

“Earp, I thought I told you to _ wait outside_!” Eliza exclaims.

“It’s okay,” Nicole pipes up quietly. “Really. She’s fine.”

“All right then,” Eliza says brusquely. “I’ll leave the two of you then.”

The doctor leaves, and Nicole and Wynonna are left with a loaded silence hanging between them. Wynonna crosses her arms across her chest, her body language clearly betraying how uncomfortable she is.

“How, uh…how’re you feeling?” Wynonna asks. 

Nicole watches as Wynonna’s gaze drops down to her leg, and quickly she covers it back up, her face burning.

“Earp, I don’t need you looking at me like I’m a freak, okay?” Nicole snaps, meeting the other woman’s piercing blue eyes.

“Sorry,” Wynonna mumbles.

“It’s fine,” Nicole sighs. “I didn’t mean to snap like that.”

“I mean, you’ve got every right to snap at me.” Wynonna looks away and clears her throat, her cheeks flushing the slightest shade of pink. “But…how _ are _ you feeling?”

“None of this feels real,” Nicole says. She leans back in bed, exhaustion suddenly washing over her. “I lost my footing for half a second…and now I’m here. But thank you, Wynonna,” Nicole adds quietly, causing the other woman to look up at her in surprise. “For everything.”

“I—I only did what I could,” Wynonna says, stammering over her words. “I’m just sorry it wasn’t enough.” Her gaze drops again, but Nicole doesn’t say anything. “I’m sorry it ended up like…this.”

“I’m alive, aren’t I?” Nicole says gently. “Still here to bug you another day? Wynonna, Shapiro said that without you I would have died out there. I_ literally _owe you my life, Earp.”

Wynonna squirms and mumbles something entirely unintelligible, visibly uncomfortable with the sentiment. “As long as you don’t hurt my sister, we can call it even. Deal?”

Nicole nods and grins in spite of herself. “I don’t think you’ve got anything to worry about on that front, but you’ve got a deal.”

With that, Wynonna finally relaxes enough to lean in and wrap her arms around Nicole in an uncharacteristically huge hug.

“Okay…still not 100%, so maybe less squeezing?” Nicole grunts as she embraces her friend.

“I’m glad you made it out in one piece, Haught.”

“Thanks for getting us out of there, Earp.”

***

Nicole is twenty-five years old.

She spent nearly all her life on the water, learning her trade so she could make a living of her own some day.

The hard labour is in her blood; after winning the Games, Nicole was out hauling nets and setting traps the day after she returned from her own victory tour. The work was exhausting, but Nicole could sleep easier at night knowing she’d helped provide for her family or for herself.

Nicole’s entire way of life was ripped away from her in a split second, and now she’s trapped in bed. 

It scares Nicole how quickly she comes to enjoy the release of the morphling drip; Waverly and Wynonna are busy helping the rebellion however they can, but her own days in the medical unit are long and painful and _ lonely _ . It’s not that she dislikes the way it takes her out of the real world, but rather…she _ loves _it. It’s so much easier to cope when she doesn’t have to sit with her own thoughts, her regrets, things she should have done better in the arena.

And it’s exactly why she asks for the drip to be removed after only a few days. A morphling addiction is the _ last _thing she needs to get saddled with.

When she isn’t out training, Waverly spends most of her free time with Nicole, but Nicole resists Waverly’s repeated offers to help her with…anything.

“Baby, you’re being ridiculous,” Waverly says one night.

“I’m not ridiculous, I’m _ mortified_!” Nicole exclaims. “You’re my _ girlfriend_; you shouldn’t have to be taking care of me…especially when we haven’t even had _ sex _yet,” she finishes, looking away quickly.

Waverly is quiet, and Nicole is convinced she’s made a complete ass of herself.

“I just keep making things worse,” she says, burying her face in her hands. “Now I feel like such a dumbass.”

Waverly is looking at her with an inscrutable, almost amused, expression that Nicole can’t quite read.

“Why, though?” 

Everything about Waverly’s question, down to the way her brow furrows in slight confusion, takes Nicole by surprise.

“What d’you mean?”

“I mean, why do you feel like a dumbass?” Waverly asks.

“It feels stupid that I’m thinking about our sex life when there are_ obviously _bigger things to be worrying about.”

As she says it, Nicole wishes the floor would open up and swallow her whole, because she would rather be anywhere else than here, in a hospital bed, having this conversation.

“You’re still allowed to have feelings, you know,” Waverly says quietly. “No matter the circumstance. And _ believe _ me,” she adds, leaning in so she can kiss Nicole quickly, “it’s not like I haven’t been thinking about it too. But it’ll all work itself out.”

Crossing her arms over her chest, Nicole lets out a small huff of frustration because she knows Waverly is right.

“I’m sorry,” Nicole says, looking over to meet Waverly’s gaze. “I really shouldn’t have snapped at you, but everything just…hurts. And I’m already so frustrated—” Her voice breaks off midsentence, and she takes a huge breath so she can get the rest of the thought out before it eats her alive. “I’m so frustrated, and the hard part hasn’t even _ begun _ yet.”

Tears spill over and down Nicole’s cheeks, and Waverly moves to the edge of the bed so she can comfort her girlfriend more easily. As she wraps her arms around Nicole’s shoulders, Nicole wraps hers loosely around Waverly’s waist, and Waverly holds her as she lets out all the tears she’s been holding back for days.

There’s nothing Waverly can say to make things better, because she can’t begin to imagine what this must feel like for Nicole. Entirely without thinking about it, Waverly quietly starts to sing the lullaby from District 12 that her mother used to sing to her:

_ Deep in the meadow, under the willow _

_ A bed of grass, a soft green pillow _

_ Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes _

_ And when again they open, the sun will rise. _

_ Here it’s safe, here it’s warm _

_ Here the daisies guard you from every harm _

_ Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true _

_ Here is the place where I love you. _

Waverly holds her, breathing in the hint of vanilla that seems to follow the redhead everywhere she goes, until Nicole’s sobs begin to subside.

“You’re okay,” Waverly says softly. “You’re gonna be okay.”

“Can you stay tonight?” Nicole murmurs after a moment.

It’s the first time she’s asked Waverly to stay with her, and Waverly is quick to say yes. Every other night, Nicole has insisted that Waverly go back to her standard-issue quarters.

After spending nearly all of their time together in close proximity, Waverly has found it’s hard for her to fall asleep without Nicole close by. The nightmares are more vivid, and she can never get back to sleep after, not without Nicole’s comforting presence beside her.

If she could, Waverly would happily curl up beside Nicole, but she settles for a small cot beside the bed. Exhausted, Nicole falls asleep quickly, but Waverly lies awake for much longer, eyes never leaving the redhead’s now-peaceful form.

Waverly pulls the blankets tight around her and tries to quiet her thoughts so she can try and get some sleep. When she does eventually doze off, it’s fitful and punctuated by nightmares that she can’t remember.

Nicole doesn’t sleep much better. She’s not surprised when she wakes up in the middle of the night, heart pounding, because she’s back in the woods and her leg is caught in the same crude barbed wire trap.

It’s the same dream she’s had countless times, and it always ends this way—frantically searching for the wire slicing into her flesh before remembering with a sinking feeling that there’s nothing there. That doesn’t stop the pain though; as another wave ripples through her phantom leg, Nicole bites down on her knuckles in an effort to keep herself quiet and not wake Waverly, but a small groan escapes her anyway.

Nicole breaks out in a cold sweat as the stabbing pain gets worse, as though invisible hands are tightening the barbed wire, sinking it deeper and deeper trying to slice her leg into pieces.

“Nicole?”

_ “Jesus_!”

Waverly’s voice in the dimly lit room startles Nicole.

“Baby, what’s wrong?”

This is why Nicole has been so insistent that Waverly not stay with her during the night; every night so far, she’s woken up in pain like this, but there’s nothing she can do except wait for it to pass, and she doesn’t want Waverly to worry about her.

“Nicole, you’re shaking.”

Waverly’s voice is so soft, almost impossibly so, as she rests one hand lightly on Nicole’s back.

“It _ hurts…” _

It comes out like a whine, and Nicole hates herself, just a little, for sounding so much like a child. She grips the blankets tightly as another wave hits, and she hisses in pain.

“Do you want me to go find you some morphling? I’m sure—”

“—You know I’m staying off that stuff,” Nicole says firmly. “It happens every night. There’s nothing I can do except…wait it out. You really should go back to sleep, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“No, I don’t think so,” Waverly says quietly. “I’m staying right here. Now scoot over so I can hold you.”

They talk about nothing, about the most minute aspects of their new life, until the pain begins to subside and Nicole is able to relax again. She finds that simply having Waverly close to her makes it so much easier to relax, instead of lying there awake and anxious for hours.

“I’ve barely been sleeping,” Waverly admits sleepily. She shifts and carefully settles in a little more beside Nicole.

“How come?”

“I guess I got used to having you next to me,” Waverly says quietly. “You make me feel…safe. Like you’ve got my back.”

“Even now?”

“Of course.”

* * *

_ The rules of the Games are the same as ever. _

_ Go for survival supplies, not weapons, because no matter what, the Cornucopia is always a bloodbath. _

_ They’re distributed randomly on the pedestals, and Waverly is able to catch Nicole’s eye while they wait anxiously. _

Find me_ , Waverly mouths silently. _

_ Nicole offers a small nod before fixing her attention back on the Cornucopia. _

_ The starting horn blares, and twenty-four bodies launch themselves into the Hunger Games once again. Waverly zeroes in on what looks like a survival pack, and doesn’t look back as she swipes it and takes off into the surrounding woods. _

_ Waverly doesn’t slow down until the roars of aggression and screams of the dying fade away in the distance. It’s only when she’s surrounded by the quiet of the woods that Waverly stops to take stock. _

_ She doesn’t know who they represent, but she counts six cannon blasts, and she won’t so much as entertain the prospect that Wynonna or Nicole might be among them. _

_ All she can do is wait. _

_ Survive. _

***

_ Nicole doesn’t find her for what feels like hours, until it’s nearly dark. She comes crashing through the dense foliage and stops short, panting and disheveled, a lethal-looking dagger in one hand. _

_ “Who’s there?” She asks quietly, addressing the seemingly empty woods. “I know you’re there…I can sense it.” _

_ “It’s just me.” _

_ Waverly quietly drops down from her hiding place, and Nicole lets out a sigh of relief. She’s nearly bowled over by the brunette’s embrace, and she kisses Waverly fiercely in greeting. _

_ “What happened to you?” Waverly murmurs as she takes in Nicole’s bloodied appearance. _

_ “District 7,” Nicole says simply. “Though I don’t quite think I killed him. Just slowed him down. We should move; I don’t know who might have followed me.” _

_ Neither Wynonna nor Xavier’s photos are projected into the night sky, and Waverly finds she can breathe a little easier. They’ve all survived the first day. _

_ There’s a chill in the air as night falls, but Nicole’s body is warm as they settle down for what’s sure to be a long night. _

* * *

Her own scream, echoing in her head, startles Nicole awake. 

She wakes up disoriented in the dark, still-unfamiliar room. It takes a moment before she remembers she’s not in the medical unit, she’s in their living quarters…and she’s on the floor.

Looking around, Nicole realizes she doesn’t know what to do, because she can’t get up. Panic sets in quickly, her breath coming in quick, shallow gasps as her heart rate speeds up and she starts to feel dizzy. Her shoulder aches where she landed on the hard floor, and her knee is screaming in pain.

“N’cole?” Waverly mumbles blearily from…somewhere above her. “Nicole??”

There’s a rustling of sheets before the light snaps on and Waverly is climbing out of bed to kneel beside her.

“What happened?” Waverly asks as she helps Nicole sit up. “Are you okay?”

“I don’t know…I think I was having a nightmare,” Nicole says, dazed. “I’m so sorry…can you help me up?”

Waverly helps the other woman back into bed with ease and kisses her gently before climbing back into bed herself. She curls herself up protectively beside Nicole while Nicole lays on her back, adrenaline still racing through her veins. She rubs her eyes hard and lets out a massive sigh.

“I’m so sorry, Waves,” she repeats.

“It’s okay,” Waverly murmurs. “You’re okay. I’m not going anywhere, I promise.”

Nicole is awake long after Waverly falls asleep, and she realizes it’s because she’s afraid. She’s never felt so helpless, but she’s never had any reason to be afraid of something as simple as falling two feet.

Not until now, when she literally can’t pick herself back up.

***

The next morning, Waverly reluctantly begins to untangle herself from Nicole’s embrace, trying her hardest not to wake the other woman. As she does so, Nicole stirs and groans sleepily beside her.

They’re going out to the Districts for the first time. Kevin has been insistent from the beginning that they show up for the people on the ground, but Waverly has been equally as insistent that she wouldn’t go anywhere until she was sure Nicole would be okay.

“I’ve gotta get up, baby,” Waverly mumbles, propping herself up on one elbow. She leans in for a kiss, and nearly gives in to the redhead’s groggy attempt to pull her back down.

“Mmm-mmm…stay,” Nicole grumbles.

“We’ve put this tour off for ‘way too long,’ according to Kevin,” Waverly says with a pout. “Which is ridiculous, seeing as we haven’t even _ been _ here that long.”

Resting her jaw in her other hand, Waverly pushes a couple loose locks of hair back behind Nicole’s ear and strokes her cheek gently with her thumb, savouring the feel of the soft skin beneath her finger.

“Stay out of danger, okay?” Nicole says quietly, trying not to sound as clingy as she actually feels. “I know you’re just visiting, but you never know…” 

Her voice trails off, and Waverly finishes her sentence with a kiss.

“I promise, I’ll be careful,” she says. “But if I don’t get going, someone—probably Wynonna—is going to come looking for me.”

Nicole groans in frustration as Waverly slips out of bed and starts getting dressed.

“You _ do _ look awfully good in a uniform,” she says as Waverly pulls on a tight-fitting black jumpsuit and boots. “I’ll give them that.”

Waverly sighs and kneels on the bed for one more kiss before leaving.

“You’ll be okay?” she asks.

“I’ll figure it out,” Nicole says. “Don’t worry about me. Go do your thing; lord knows Dolls and Wynonna are gonna need all the help they can get.”

Waverly turns and looks over her shoulder one last time before closing the door quietly behind her, and once she goes Nicole sinks back in bed.

In reality, she wishes Waverly_ wouldn’t _ go. What she _ wants _ is to pull Waverly back into bed and to stay there forever. But she can’t be the thing that holds Waverly back.

Nicole knows one thing for sure—the next few days are going to be miserable.

***

When Kevin presents their next “big idea,” the very concept makes Nicole feel sick.

Jeremy, ever the tech wizard, has figured out a way they can flood the Capitol broadcasting systems with their own rebel content. Specifically, propos. _ Lots _ of propos.

Nicole’s first instinct is to refuse any involvement in the propos, especially once Kevin explains their vision a little more thoroughly.

“You four are going to be the face of this revolution,” they say. “We’ve got the stoic warriors of District 4…the sisters of District 12…and the people’s favourite, the star-crossed lovers.”

“What do you mean_, ‘the people’s favourite?’” _Nicole scoffs.

“Are you kidding?” Kevin asks incredulously. “After those interviews, you two were all anyone could talk about. If we spin it the right way…”

“…they’ll be more sympathetic to the cause.” Nicole finishes with a sigh. “It’s all a fucking show.”

“Sure is, cupcake,” Kevin says, leaning on the table. “But it’s how we win this thing.”

“C’mon,” Waverly urges, taking Nicole’s hand and flashing her best puppy dog eyes. “It’ll be, well…maybe ‘fun’ isn’t the right word…”

Nicole just sighs, because she knows there’s no way she can resist Waverly, not when she’s looking at her like_ that. _Plus, she has to admit, she can see the logic behind it.

When Nicole finally acquiesces, Kevin grins.

“That’s what I thought. But don’t worry, we’ve got a team that’s gonna make you look amazing.”

With that, Nicole’s heart soars as the door opens and Fish and Levi walk in.

“You’re okay!” she exclaims. Waverly leaps up and tackles Levi, and Nicole just stares in bewilderment. “How are you here?!”

“We ran as soon as the Games got going,” Levi says. 

Fish bends over to embrace Nicole warmly. “I’m so glad you’re okay, sweetie,” he says quietly. “You gave us quite a scare.”

Nicole almost bursts into tears at the reunion, and suddenly she finds herself a little less nervous about the propos if she’s going to be in Fish’s hands. At least she trusts him to not make her look like a fool.

***

“This is ridiculous,” Nicole grumbles, eyeing the outfit that’s been laid out for her. “I really don’t know why I agreed to this anyway.”

“Because after you got hurt, the Capitol freaked out,” Wynonna says matter-of-factly. “They loved the idea of you and Waverly so much that there’s a good chance we might actually get somewhere with this ridiculous plan. It’ll show them you’re both okay and still together and all that good shit.”

“I’d hardly say I’m ‘okay’ just yet,” Nicole says darkly, the admission slipping out before she can stop herself.

Nicole flops back on the bed with a huff of frustration, and she’s surprised when she’s joined by Wynonna.

“Look, Haught, I realize this is balls.” Wynonna says. “This whole ridiculous shoot today, sure, but everything else too. I know you’re hurting. I’m here if you need to vent, to scream, to_ drink…_whatever.”

Nicole is floored. 

Since the day they met, Wynonna’s attitude toward her has been next to impossible for her to read. The other woman has been stoic and focused the entire time they’ve known each other, with the sole end goal of protecting her younger sister.

“Dude,” Wynonna says, breaking Nicole’s silence. “You alive in there, Haught?”

“Yeah,” Nicole says quietly, her breath hitching. “I just…you took me by surprise, that’s all”

“Yeah, well so did you” Wynonna smirks. “Maybe you’ve got a stick up your ass, but I’ve never seen Waverly so happy. _ Ever _ . Plus,” she adds in a more somber tone, “you kept your word. Anyone can _ say _ they’ll be an ally in that arena, but not everyone follows through. That means something.”

“You and Waverly are the closest thing to a family that I’ve had in a long time,” Nicole says quietly. 

“Yeah, whatever,” Wynonna scoffs, her usual demeanour returning. “The sooner you get dressed, the sooner we get this stupid thing over with.”

***

Rather than dress them all in the same austere rebellion uniforms, they’re all dressed in the kinds of clothing they might wear back in their home districts. Waverly looks like she’s ready to head out hunting in the woods—her deep brown leather jacket compliments the black of her shirt and pants, and she looks at home with her quiver slung across her back. Wynonna is dressed similarly, only she, true to form, is in all black.

The first thing Waverly notices when she walks in the room is the way Nicole’s vibrant hair and pale skin stand out against the deep navy fabric of her tunic.

“You look incredible,” she says quietly as she leans in for a kiss. 

Nicole’s cheeks immediately flush pink as she rolls her eyes. “This is_ so _not the kind of thing I’d normally wear,” she says with a laugh. “It’s definitely a step up from my grubby work clothes—this is the kind of thing rich people wear,” she adds with a laugh.

The only thing Nicole asks quietly of the camera crew and of Kevin is that they only show her from the waist up. She doesn’t need Panem to pity her. 

The shoot itself is just as strange and awkward as Nicole anticipated. It still doesn’t feel right for her to be involved at all, given that she’s not doing _ anything _ for the rebellion. She and Dolls grumble about the absurdity of the situation between setups, which puts her somewhat at ease—she’s missed his calm, steady presence in all the chaos.

When the time comes to do their photos together, Waverly immediately takes the lead as though she’s been making these ridiculous propos her entire life.

“I feel like an idiot,” Nicole mumbles as Waverly wraps her arms around her shoulders.

“But you look so _ good_,” Waverly says, quietly enough so only Nicole can hear, and Nicole can’t help the smile that spreads across her face. “I _ love _ the blue. It goes perfectly with your hair.”

“Well, that leather is…really something.”

“HAUGHT!” Wynonna bellows from across the room. “Quit eye-fucking my sister so we can get out of here before next week!”

“Now, _ there’s _an idea…” Waverly murmurs into Nicole’s ear before pressing the ghost of a kiss to the side of her neck.

Nicole laughs and pulls Waverly’s arms tighter around her, and she’s _ almost _ able to forget how uncomfortable the whole setup feels.

“We should get out of here…” Nicole murmurs as she senses things are about to wrap up, “before we get roped into…something else ridiculous.”

Waverly gently kisses Nicole’s temple, a grin spreading across her face.

“_What the fuck, baby girl?! _”

Waverly bursts out laughing at her sister’s appalled shout, and Nicole’s cheeks flush pink.

***

The second Waverly closes the door of their quarters behind her, she whirls around and is on Nicole in half a second, straddling her hips and kissing her breathlessly. Waverly’s fingers fumble as she begins to undo the buttons of Nicole’s tunic one by one, and she relishes the feeling of the silky material between her fingers as she tugs the garment over Nicole’s head and lets it drop to the floor. Nicole’s hands follow suit, tugging at any fabric she can reach.

As Waverly helps by pulling her own shirt over her head, Nicole leans back slightly so she can make eye contact with the other woman.

“I need to slide back, ‘mkay?”

“D’you need help?” Waverly asks as she backs off Nicole’s lap and finishes shedding her own clothes.

Nicole just shakes her head, a surprisingly shy smile playing across her face. She moves back gingerly, careful not to exacerbate the ache that’s been present in her good knee all day, and she only feels a hint of embarrassment as she tucks a pillow in beside her to take the pressure off her bad side.

“We don’t have to, y’know,” Waverly says quietly, “if it’s gonna be uncomfortable.”

“No!” Nicole exclaims. “I want to…_ believe _ me, I want to.”

“Just let me know if I’m hurting you, okay?”

“Of course,” Nicole says with a soft smile.

Waverly swallows hard as Nicole strokes her cheek gently with one thumb. “I’ve never…”

“I know, baby,” Nicole says, looking up into Waverly’s wide, hazel eyes. She tucks some loose strands of hair behind Waverly’s ear and cups the other woman’s cheek softly. “We won’t do _ anything _ that makes you uncomfortable, got it?”

Waverly nods and kisses Nicole hungrily.

“Just…be patient with me, okay?” Nicole manages to get out between kisses. “This isn’t how I’m used to doing this.”

“It’s okay.” Waverly says softly, eyes scanning Nicole’s worried face as she quickly undoes her loose braid so she can properly pull her hair back away from her face. “We’ll just…figure it out together.”

“Thank you.”

Relief wells up in Nicole’s chest as some of the pressure she’d been feeling—to be the “experienced” one, the one with all the answers—lifts off of her.

Nicole wraps one arm around Waverly tightly as she drags the fingertips of her other hand over Waverly’s exposed skin and between her legs. Waverly’s head drops as she nearly collapses on top of Nicole, who smirks and drags her teeth across whatever exposed skin she can reach.

She knows she’s on the right track when she hears Waverly’s gasp against her mouth, followed by an involuntary shudder that travels the length of her body. The muscles of Waverly’s toned thighs quiver against Nicole’s hand, and Nicole can’t hold back the groan of satisfaction that escapes from her throat at the sensation.

“_Baby… _” Nicole growls as Waverly rolls her hips into Nicole’s hand. “Look at me.”

With delicious difficulty, Waverly lifts herself up just enough to make eye contact, her pupils blown wide with arousal. Nicole smirks and pulls Waverly down to meet her lips again as she sinks two fingers deep into Waverly’s soaking core. The small whine of surprise from the brunette sends another shockwave rippling through Nicole’s own body.

“That okay?”

“Y…yes…”

“I need you to help me out a little,” Nicole gasps. “_ Just _ like that…” she adds as Waverly rolls her hips forward again.

It feels strange, unbalanced, doing this flat on her back, but Waverly is more than willing to experiment and find a rhythm that works for both of them. Nicole knows she’s figured it out when Waverly can’t keep herself propped up anymore, and she nearly collapses entirely.

“_Nicole,” _she gasps as she collapses on her elbows and buries her face in Nicole’s neck.

Nicole only chuckles wickedly and continues her ministrations, not pausing even for a moment as she drags her thumb roughly across Waverly’s clit. She quickly finds that digging her heel into the mattress provides her with the leverage she needs to cause Waverly’s entire body to tense above her, and to draw a shocked gasp from the other woman.

“Baby, I—”

Waverly’s voice is strained, the syllables halting, and Nicole feels tension building in Waverly’s core, tension that’s dying for release into oblivion.

Stars begin to pop behind Waverly’s eyes as, with one final, practiced thrust, Nicole sends her over the edge.

“Look at me, Waverly.”

The command sends a bonus wave of euphoria through Waverly’s body, and she forces her eyes open again to meet Nicole’s. The redhead smirks beneath her before pulling her down to meet her lips, finally bringing their bodies completely flush with one another.

“That’s it…” Nicole murmurs against Waverly’s lips. She chuckles, and Waverly can feel the way the sound reverberates through her chest. 

As Waverly comes down, she comes to rest her head on Nicole’s chest, breathing heavy.

“You okay?” Nicole asks softly. She drags her free hand gently over Waverly’s spine, feeling the ridges of each of her vertebrae beneath her fingers.

“Of course.” Waverly lifts her head and meets Nicole’s eyes. “_ More _ than okay.”

She feels Nicole squirm slightly beneath her and props herself up, grinning wickedly.

“What d’you need, baby?”

Waverly leaves a trail of kisses all the way up Nicole’s chest and neck before capturing her lips once again. The kiss is slow and deep, and Waverly smirks in satisfaction when she draws a noise from the redhead that’s something close to a _ whine _.

“_Waverly…_”

Nicole doesn’t miss a beat; she’s quick to take Waverly’s hand and slip it between her own legs.

“Show me,” Waverly breathes.

“Always.”

***

Waverly wakes up screaming at some point during the night, which snaps Nicole out of her own fitful sleep.

“_Waverly! _” Nicole cries as the other woman sits bolt upright, her breathing heavy. “Look at me!”

Waverly whips around to look at Nicole in the near-darkness of the small room, her eyes wide with panic. She buries her face in Nicole’s neck without saying a word, her heart pounding in her ears.

“Hey…you’re okay, Waves,” Nicole says quietly. “We’re safe.” 

Nicole cradles the back of Waverly’s head and holds her close, the same way she’s done so many nights before, until her chest stops heaving and she stops shaking. Beneath her hands, she feels Waverly’s bare skin erupt in goosebumps.

“Same dream?” she asks quietly, and Waverly just nods.

It’s always the same dream. They’re back in the arena—sometimes it’s the lush, green forest they’ve just escaped, sometimes it’s the sparse landscape of the year before, but Nicole is always there. 

And Nicole is _ always _ dying. Help isn’t coming, Wynonna is nowhere to be found, and there’s nothing Waverly can do but hold her. Even though she knows she shouldn’t, that the other tributes are going to hear her, that it won’t do anything, Waverly screams for help.

That’s when she wakes up.

It only takes a few seconds for her to realize she and Nicole are safe, but it feels impossibly long. Nicole holds her in the safety of her arms, of _ their _ bed, without judgment or commentary until she’s calmed down enough to go back to sleep.

They sit up together for a few more minutes, until Waverly starts to feel the pull of sleep once again. Nicole tugs Waverly down with her as she sinks back into the tangled mess of sheets, and Waverly curls herself into the taller woman’s side. 

***

One afternoon, several weeks later, Waverly comes back from a particularly intense bout of training and stops short and grins at what she finds.

Nicole is sprawled out on her back, an ice pack wrapped delicately around her knee, fast asleep. Waverly is tempted to wake her with a kiss, but decides against it in favour of a hot shower. When she returns, Nicole stirs at the disturbance, sleepily propping herself up on her elbows to search for the source.

“You’re back,” she says, voice husky with sleep, when she realizes it’s Waverly who’s interrupted her sleep. “How was training?”

Waverly pauses in towelling her hair dry to lean over and kiss Nicole softly. Her lips are warm and soft, and Waverly feels tension drop out of her body that she didn’t even realize she was holding.

“It was good,” she says. “I _ finally _took down Xavier while we were sparring!”

“Of course you did,” Nicole says. “It was only a matter of time. I mean, look at those muscles!”

Waverly’s face flushes pink, but there’s a new, proud look on her face.

“I _ did _agree to go out on another District operation at the end of the week,” Waverly says tentatively. “I know it’s last-minute, but…” her voice trails off, and she shrugs.

Nicole’s heart sinks ever-so-slightly at the news. Every time Waverly comes back from the Districts, she gets her hopes up that maybe this will be the last time she has to worry. But she should know better by now, because Waverly’s first instinct is always to help, however she can. With her radiant smile and infinitely resourceful nature, Nicole is _ sure _ that Waverly’s made herself indispensable.

Even so…

“Baby, you really should _ slow down _,” Nicole says gently. She watches Waverly pace back and forth anxiously while she adjusts the ice on her aching knee. “No one expects you to keep going out on District operations or to be training yourself to death, you know. You deserve to rest just as much as anyone else.”

Waverly drops unceremoniously onto the edge of the bed. “I just don’t know what else to do with myself,” she says quietly.

Nicole surveys her girlfriend and sighs. Even as she tries to sit still, Nicole sees the way Waverly drums her fingers against her thigh, the way her eyes dart all over the room before landing back on Nicole.

She’s restless. Anxious. They all are.

Even so, Nicole wishes she could convince her to stay. 

Waverly isn’t stupid, she knows the risks. But that still doesn’t stop Nicole from worrying every time Waverly pulls on her uniform to leave the compound.

“I guess I’m just selfish,” Nicole says with a smile.

“What do you _ mean_?!” Waverly exclaims indignantly. “Of course not!”

“The days feel longer,” Nicole says, her smile faltering slightly, “when you’re gone.”

Waverly’s heart sinks as she sees Nicole’s face cloud over momentarily.

“I know you’re all out there, fighting for our future,” Nicole continues. She drops her gaze to the quilt on their bed, where she traces the stitching absently. “But it’s…lonely here, when all of you are gone. Even Wynonna,” she adds with a forced laugh.

The smile Nicole offers doesn’t quite reach her eyes. 

“How was therapy?” Waverly asks, changing the subject and abruptly bringing Nicole’s train of thought to a full stop.

“Fine, I guess,” Nicole says. “Shapiro said she thinks I’m about ready to give crutches another try.”

“Baby, that’s amazing!”

Nicole groans, remembering the last time she pushed herself. “Hopefully I don’t end up on my ass like I did last time.”

“I’m sure it’ll be easier,” Waverly says. “Your knee is stronger, and you know what to expect now.”

“It’d be nice to actually _do_ something around here besides hang out with doctors,” she says with a pout. “I’m pretty sure I’m turning into a vampire, being inside all the time.”

Waverly grins and leans in to kiss the grumpy expression right off the redhead’s face. 

“I can think of a couple…other things that you could do to occupy your time,” she murmurs. “Or at least _ one _ thing…”

“Oh, really?” Nicole says with a smirk. “Do tell.”

“You could…come drink with us,” Waverly says. 

She laughs as Nicole realizes what she’s said and her brow furrows in disappointment.

“You’re such a _ tease_,” Nicole groans as she tugs Waverly close and kisses her again. “Good thing I love y—”

Nicole’s eyes widen and her cheeks flush bright pink as she stops herself, mouth agape. A few seconds of silence dangle in the air between them, and Nicole wonders if she’s just ruined everything.

“I love you too.” Waverly’s fingers are gentle as she strokes the soft skin of Nicole’s cheek. “I never thought I would feel this way, but you…_Nicole_…”

The way Waverly says her name—_sighs _ her name—sends a current of electricity rippling down Nicole’s spine and into her core.

Wynonna bangs on the door impatiently to interrupt them, shouting that she’s got “some great hooch” and that they need to “quit being gay in there” and join her.

Nicole lets out a small groan of protest underneath her, and Waverly smirks.

“Hang on.”

Clutching her towel tight to her chest, Waverly crosses to the door and opens it just a crack. Nicole doesn’t hear what Waverly says, but Wynonna makes a loud, exaggerated noise of disgust and Nicole thinks she might have an idea. It’s confirmed when Waverly closes the door again and turns around to look at Nicole with a wicked grin on her face.

“She _ says _ she’ll be back in an hour…but I _ think _Dolls is around tonight, so…”

“So she’ll be otherwise occupied,” Nicole finishes, propping herself up on her elbows so she can survey the scantily-clad woman in front of her. “Good. Means I get you all to myself.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MAJOR thanks to both [Blankagenda](https://twitter.com/Blankagenda) and [Bootsncatz](https://twitter.com/bootsncatz) for looking over this chapter, which I was SUPER nervous about. You're both wonderful humans.
> 
> [Come yell at me on Twitter!](https://twitter.com/unsaltysaltines)


	5. Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wynonna goes into labour, but there are a couple…complications. 
> 
> Also, Nicole and Waverly are surprised by some complex feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so long; life and NaNoWriMo both happened! But thank you for coming back to read more about these soft, gay idiots!
> 
> [This fic has a playlist!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3S15627fXLey1G1MGhxnIZ?si=dOW8-rJnS3OTPiMGlcLMkg)

Wynonna’s daughter is born in the middle of the last snowstorm of the winter, screaming loudly enough to match the wind howling outside Wynonna’s small house.

In the final weeks of her pregnancy, Waverly goes over to visit every day, just to check in, and every day Wynonna insists she’s “just fine, baby girl!”

Waverly knows better, though, so one afternoon she and Nicole surreptitiously leave some spare clothes at Wynonna’s for when the day inevitably comes—Wynonna rolls her eyes, but Waverly knows it’ll come in handy.

Doc is nowhere to be found in those crucial last weeks. Nothing infuriates Waverly more than having to listen to Wynonna insist that she’s surely going to be better off without him.

“I don't know _ what _ he’s doing,” Wynonna says one afternoon with a heavy sigh. “I don’t know where he is or what he’s up to, but if I have to do this alone…”

“You don’t have to, Wynonna,” Nicole says quietly, watching as her friend’s shoulders visibly tense and her hands go to her very pregnant belly. “Even if that asshole _ doesn’t _ magically reappear, you don’t have to do _ any _ of this alone.”

“She’s right, Wynonna,” Waverly says as she wraps her arms awkwardly around her sister, who grunts in annoyance but makes no attempt to actually move away. “You think we’re annoying _ now? _ I don’t know about Nicole, but I plan on spoiling this kid rotten. Baby?” She adds, looking over at Nicole with a grin.

“Oh, without a doubt,” Nicole says matter-of-factly. “I’ve never had a baby in my life to spoil, and I can’t _ wait_.”

“You two really worked together on that one,” Wynonna mumbles. “Gross.” She runs her hands over her belly and smiles when she feels kicking in response.

Wynonna turns in early that night. Her back is killing her, and she goes to bed with the distinct feeling that it won’t be much longer at all; the baby moves and kicks wildly as she settles into bed for the night, and Wynonna smiles at her swollen stomach.

“Hey there, little duck,” she says quietly. “I think it’s about time, don’t you? We’re all so excited to meet you…”

Outside, Wynonna can hear the wind beginning to pick up, a sure sign that a storm’s on its way. She has a hard time sleeping that night, especially once she acknowledges that she’s been having contractions the entire time.

It’s time.

***

“Did Wynonna seem okay to you?” Waverly asks later, as she slips into bed beside Nicole. “She seemed a little…off earlier.”

“I mean…she’s about a thousand months pregnant, she seemed pretty uncomfortable,” Nicole says quietly. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she’s a day or two away from giving birth…_ max._”

“Doc had better have a good goddamn reason for not being here,” Waverly says darkly. “I _ really _ thought he was a better person than this.”

“We can’t do anything about his shitty choices,” Nicole says sleepily, “but we can be there to support her as best we can.”

“I love you,” Waverly murmurs, “and your ability to somehow stay so calm all the time.”

“It’s one of my many gifts,” Nicole says with a grin. She wraps her arms around Waverly before kissing her gently. “I love you too, Waves.”

***

By the time Waverly and Nicole show up at Wynonna’s the next day, there’s no time for them to send for the midwife. The storm outside is too dangerous and thanks to Wynonna’s stubborn resolve, she’s already too close to giving birth anyway.

Instead, it’s _ Nicole _ who finds herself taking complete control of the situation. 

She takes in the scene—Wynonna is pacing back and forth in her bedroom and groaning in pain at regular intervals, but she’s managed to fling most of the blankets off the bed in preparation for the painful process still to come. Nicole begins by gently asking questions of her friend, trying to calculate how long she’s been in labour so she can best figure out how to help her, but Wynonna’s answers are vague and unhelpful, not to mention she keeps snapping at Nicole to leave her alone in between contractions.

As Wynonna lets out a guttural, pained yell, Nicole finally abandons any sense of decorum and roars right back at her to “_get your ass in bed!_” 

Brown eyes meet blue, and there’s a moment where Nicole can see that Wynonna is contemplating smacking the shit out of her. She doesn’t break eye contact, only stares her best friend down until she eventually relents.

“Make yourself comfortable, Earp,” Nicole says firmly as Wynonna glowers in her direction. “This ain’t gonna be pretty, but you _ need _ to listen to me. Got it?”

Waverly helps Nicole drag a heavy trunk over to the foot of the bed while Wynonna makes herself comfortable on the bed itself. Wynonna watches intently as she settles herself between her legs and immediately, without missing a single beat, begins coaching her through the contractions—which are coming harder and more frequently—all while ordering Waverly around the cabin in search of supplies.

“Haught, you _ sure _ you know what you’re doing?” Wynonna asks weakly, her breathing heavy as a contraction subsides.

“Of course not!” Nicole exclaims honestly, throwing her hands up. “I know the absolute _ basics_, but I’m the closest thing you’re getting to a midwife right now,” she says, voice softening. “You’re gonna need to trust me, okay?”

“Of _ course _ I trust you, Haught,” Wynonna hisses through gritted teeth as another contraction sends a wave of pain rippling out through her entire body. “I just wanted t—“

Her sentence is cut off by another cry of pain, and Nicole can’t help but wince in sympathy.

“Baby, can you get me a glass of water?” Nicole asks when Waverly appears by her side one more time with more clean towels and several neatly folded blankets. “Maybe some for Wynonna too?”

“Of course,” Waverly says quietly.

“Quick, though—I think she’s almost ready to push.”

“Fuck _ water_, bring me a whiskey!” Wynonna yells, gritting her teeth through a second powerful contraction in a row. 

_Surely_ _it can’t be long now_, Wynonna thinks as she tries to breathe through the pain.

“Water it is!” Waverly exclaims with a smirk in her sister’s direction. She pauses to kiss the top of Nicole’s head affectionately before leaving the bedroom again. Nicole hears her greet Calamity on the other side of the bedroom door, who answers her with an annoyed whine. Calamity _ desperately _ wants to be in the bedroom where they are, but the last thing Nicole wants is a dog underfoot while Wynonna is trying to give birth.

Wynonna calls her every possible name in the book—and then some—but Nicole barely pays attention, allowing the (admittedly very creative) insults to simply roll right off her back. When Waverly returns with a glass in each hand, she pauses as she witnesses Nicole giving it right back to her, weaving a quick tapestry of rude language that very nearly rivals her sister’s. Even though they’re shouting violent profanities at one another, and her girlfriend is between her sister’s legs, there’s something deeply sweet about the image in front of her.

Nicole turns around, sensing Waverly behind her, and grins as Waverly sets one glass beside her. 

“Thanks baby.”

Nicole makes a motion with her hand to beckon Waverly close to her so she can kiss her quickly.

“_Dude! Trying to give birth here!_”

Blushing, Nicole turns her attention back to Wynonna while Waverly climbs up on the bed to kneel behind her sister and physically support her in the awkward setting of her bed.

Mercifully, it doesn’t take long for Wynonna’s daughter to make her grand entrance, showing off her impressive lung capacity while Wynonna lets out a string of curse words more impressive and inventive than Nicole’s heard all day.

Nicole quickly cleans the infant off the best she can and swaddles her in a blanket before passing her off to Waverly’s waiting arms.

Once the whole messy affair is over with, Waverly helps Wynonna into the bathroom to clean herself and the baby up, and Nicole makes quick work of changing the sheets on the bed. Fatigue washes over her, but she pushes through it. Baby in her arms, Waverly emerges from the bathroom and tucks her into the bassinet before helping Nicole finish straightening the pillows on the bed.

Ignoring the tidy, fresh bedding, Waverly crawls across and stops Nicole as she’s obsessively toying with a pillow. She looks up as Waverly stills her anxious hands, and Waverly sees her body language relax just slightly.

“You did great,” Waverly says softly, pushing back a few locks of flyaway red hair. “She’s _ so _ beautiful.”

Her voice catches, and Nicole sees Waverly’s eyes fill with tears as her smile reaches her eyes. Another wave of fatigue crashing over her, Nicole can only smile and lean in for another kiss.

Wynonna returns a minute later, and barely puts up a fight when Nicole immediately orders her back into bed.

“I’m gonna go get those linens boiling, okay?” Nicole says, voice exhausted. “And start making us up a bed.”

She leaves the Earp sisters alone, and Waverly sinks down on the bed beside her sister, admiring how natural she looks as she scoops the baby up out of the bassinet.

Wynonna holds her daughter close to her chest and takes in every tiny, mesmerizing detail about her, from her full head of hair to her impossibly tiny nails.

“You’re the coolest thing I ever did,” she murmurs quietly to the finally-settled infant. “You…you’re gonna have it so much better than me. I promise.”

“She’s so lucky to have you,” Waverly said quietly. “She really has no idea.”

“I can’t believe I _ made _ her,” Wynonna says before looking up at Waverly with an incredulous look. “Like…an hour ago, she was still _ inside my body_.”

“Yeah, that’s how giving birth works,” Waverly says with a laugh. “Can I…hold her?” She asks quietly.

“Of course, dorkus.”

“Does she have a name?” Waverly asks quietly.

“Alice…Alice Michelle.”

“Beautiful.”

“Who’d’ve thought, hm?” Wynonna says quietly. “That we’d end up here?”

“I’m really proud of you, Wynonna,” Waverly murmurs.

Waverly is only able to snuggle with her niece for a few more minutes before she starts fussing to be fed. Wynonna repositions herself in bed so Waverly can hand Alice back, and Waverly kisses her sister’s forehead before slipping out of the bedroom.

Out in the living room, Nicole’s already folded down the couch into the bed where they’re going to spend the night. It’s not the most comfortable arrangement, especially for Nicole, but they both agreed without hesitation that it would be better than leaving Wynonna alone after just giving birth.

Waverly stands and watches quietly as Nicole, who’s in the process of piling every extra blanket she can find on the makeshift bed, repeatedly tosses a throw blanket over Calamity just to mess with her. Each time, the dog freezes to get her bearings before thrashing around comically in an attempt to fling it off. When she’s finally rid herself of the trappings of the blanket, Calamity lunges forward and attacks Nicole with kisses, and Nicole laughs.

“You’re torturing that poor dog!” Waverly exclaims.

Nicole looks over her shoulder, a shit-eating grin on her face. “Look at her; she loves it!”

As though to illustrate this point, Calamity flops over dramatically on the bed and burrows her snout in the discarded blanket with renewed vigour.

“How’s Wynonna?” Nicole asks, her tone shifting. “She doing okay? The baby?”

“She’s fine,” Waverly says quietly, slipping her arms around Nicole’s waist. “Alice was hungry, so I thought I’d give them some privacy.”

“Alice?”

Waverly grins and nods. “Alice Michelle. After Doc’s mother…and ours.”

“Not sure he deserves the honour,” Nicole says with a roll of her eyes. “But that’s beautiful.”

“How’re _ you _ feeling?” Waverly asks, loosely wrapping her arms around the redhead’s waist. “You were pretty amazing in there.”

Nicole grins slowly as she feels Waverly’s soft, wandering hands find the hem of her shirt. She hikes it up just enough so she can slip her hands underneath and rest them right against Nicole’s warm skin, and Nicole lets out a small shiver at the contact.

“I’m _ tired._” Nicole sighs. “We should get the midwife out here tomorrow…or whenever this storm lets up,” she adds, her brow furrowing in renewed concern. “I still want to make sure Wynonna and the baby are okay, y’know?”

“Of course; I’ll walk over there in the morning,” Waverly says.

“D’you want me to go with you?” Nicole asks tentatively, tightening her arms slightly around Waverly’s waist.

Waverly knows she’s really only asking to be polite; Nicole’s smile fades slightly when she tugs at her bottom lip anxiously with her teeth, and her eyes momentarily flick away and back again as she waits for Waverly’s answer.

“I’ll be fine on my own,” Waverly says simply. “Maybe I’ll take Calamity with me.”

“She’d love that,” Nicole says with a soft smile. “It’ll help her get some of that energy out.”

It’s not that she’s completely incapable of navigating the snowy winters of her adopted home, but she’d rather not venture out in the middle of a howling storm if she can help it. The last time she’d done that, earlier that same winter, she had slipped on a hidden patch of ice barely five steps from the front door. Before Nicole knew what hit her, she’d very quickly ended up flat on her back with a badly twisted ankle and a bruised ego to match. The injury laid her up for a week, and Nicole doesn’t particularly want to relive the experience again so soon, especially since she’s already bone-tired to begin with.

“I’m gonna go change,” Nicole says, more of that exhaustion tugging at the edges of her voice. “I’m all achy from being scrunched up between Wynonna’s legs all night.”

“You hungry?” Waverly asks before rising onto her tiptoes so she can kiss the tip of Nicole’s nose. “I was thinking I’ll dig around and see what Wynonna’s got in the kitchen.”

“That’d be great, baby.”

Wynonna and Alice are both out cold when Waverly goes to check on her, and Waverly decides against waking her, that she’ll check again later. In the meantime, she sets a pan on the stove to heat and cracks a few eggs into a bowl for a quick scramble. She’s humming an old District song to herself when she feels Nicole’s strong arms wrap around her waist from behind.

“I love hearing you sing that one, y’know,” she murmurs softly.

“You do? But it’s so _ sad_,” Waverly says with a halfhearted laugh.

“But it’s beautiful too,” Nicole says, dropping a light kiss to the side of Waverly’s neck. “_Especially _ when you’re the one singing it.”

Waverly feels heat creep into her cheeks, and she goes back to singing softly.

_ I am a poor wayfaring stranger _

_ A-trav'ling through this land of woe _

_ And there's no sickness, toil or danger _

_ In that bright world to which I go _

_ I'm going home to see my mother _

_ I'm going there no more to roam _

_ I'm just a-going over Jordan _

_ I'm just a-going over home _

Once they’ve finished eating, Waverly goes to check on Wynonna one more time, and Nicole lets out a sigh of relief when she finally gets to sit down somewhere comfortable, that isn’t between her best friend’s legs.

Nicole perches gingerly on the edge of the bed with both legs extended in front of her, and pauses to roll her shoulders back in a long, slow stretch. The muscles in her shoulders and back are tense and sore, not to mention her legs are _ killing _ her.

“You okay?”

Waverly appears at Nicole’s side and rests a hand on her shoulder. Nicole turns her head to look at her, eyes heavy, and gives her a soft smile.

“I’m fine,” she says quietly. “Just sore. My bad leg especially,” she adds, feeling the prickle of heat rising into her cheeks.

“Can I…help?” Waverly asks softly, uncertainly. 

Nicole doesn’t like to ask for help—doesn’t _ need _ help—but over time Waverly has learned to gauge when it’s okay for her to step in and offer. Like right now, when Nicole is very obviously exhausted.

“Sure.”

With Nicole’s quiet consent, Waverly presses a kiss to her cheek. “Scoot back a little for me, okay?”

Nicole slides back a few inches and gently hikes up the right leg of her pajama bottoms until she’s fully exposed the titanium and plastic of her prosthetic. Waverly rests her hands on top of Nicole’s and helps Nicole ease her leg out of the hard socket, drawing a groan of relief from the redhead. 

“Baby, why didn’t you say you were uncomfortable?” Waverly asks quietly as she takes Nicole’s leg in her hands and gently begins massaging some moisturizing balm into the sensitive flesh beneath her fingers. “I _ swear _, Nicole Haught, you’re the most stubborn person I’ve ever met.”

“I _ knooowwww…_” Nicole groans. “But I wasn’t paying attention. Just…remind me to maybe not make a habit of delivering babies on the fly like that, okay?”

Waverly laughs and leans forward to capture Nicole’s lips.

“I think I can manage that,” she murmurs quietly. “But Nicole…seriously, you were amazing today.”

“You’re giving me _ way _ too much credit—”

“_You_ _delivered a baby!_ And they’re both _fine!_” Waverly exclaims in disbelief. “Do you know how many women out here _still_ die because they don’t get the right care in time?”

“I didn’t know that,” Nicole says quietly. “But I’m not surprised. Obviously I don’t know what it’s like there now, but the part of Four where I grew up was the same way. If you couldn’t afford the right care, giving birth was one of the most dangerous things you could do. I’m just…glad everything went okay,” Nicole finishes with a shrug. 

“_Nicole! _ ” Waverly exclaims. “Just…shut up and let me compliment you!” She laughs and leans over to kiss the blushing redhead again. “You’re so damn _ noble _ all the time.”

“_Fine_,” Nicole grumbles, rolling her eyes melodramatically. “I’m amazing and everyone should bow down to me.”

“Ridiculous. That’s what you are.”

“That feels really good, baby,” Nicole says after a quiet moment. Waverly’s strong, soft hands always get those spots at an angle Nicole can never quite reach herself, and she’s hit with another wave of fatigue as she finally relaxes under Waverly’s touch. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Waverly says gently. “Feel better?”

“_Always_.”

As she finishes, Waverly gently rubs Nicole’s opposite knee a few times in an intimate sort of ritual, and Nicole yawns widely.

“Aw, poor baby; you’re exhausted,” Waverly says with a grin. “Let’s go to sleep.”

“Thanks, Waves,” Nicole says again as she crawls under the blankets.

“Anytime, baby,” Waverly says with a peck on the cheek. “You know that.”

***

“Did you ever think about it? Having kids?”

The question, quiet and contemplative, comes a little later, once they’ve both settled in their blanket nest. The storm is still going strong outside, but it’s warm as ever in Nicole’s arms and Wynonna, in spite of her own indifference to the cold, somehow had enough blankets scattered around the house that between them and Nicole, Waverly found herself perfectly content.

The other woman doesn’t answer right away, but Waverly is patient, threading a lock of Nicole’s loose hair gently between her fingers and letting it fall again. Waverly hears Nicole let out a small sigh beside her in the dark, and thinks she may need a moment.

“It’s...complicated,” Nicole says finally.

“How so?” Waverly asks quietly, snuggling a little closer and resting her head in the curve of Nicole’s neck.

“I know I say it a lot, about a lot of things,” Nicole says quietly, tentatively, “but I _ truly _never thought I would even live to see 20. Whether it was the Games or not, I assumed something was always gonna get me.”

Waverly might have heard her say this on multiple occasions, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t still break her heart each time. She went into the Games at seventeen, sure, but Waverly has grown to understand that it runs deeper than that for her. Nicole had simply accepted that she was destined for a short, difficult life...Games or no Games.

Nicole loves so deeply, but there’s still a deep vein of sadness that runs through her that Waverly doesn’t know she’ll ever be able to understand. She and Wynonna might have grown up with nothing, but at least they’d always had each other to lean on. Nicole has never had _ anyone_—until now, that is.

“What about...after?” Waverly prompts. “After the Games?”

“Every year since then has felt like…some kind of gift, I guess. I did let myself think about kids, occasionally,” Nicole says. “I’d always heard rumours that there were ways people…like me…could have children, but always sounded like it was technology for Capitol people, or District people with money. So eventually I just put it out of my head all together, I guess,” she finishes awkwardly.

It feels like a non-answer, but Nicole doesn’t even know if she has a real one. “What about you?” She asks quietly, trying to deflect from her own awkward feelings.

“Not while the Games were still going on. Absolutely not,” Waverly says with zero hesitation. “I never wanted my kids to have to face the arena, to possibly watch them die on _ national TV_. But Alice...she’s going to have a totally different life than we did. I guess I can’t help but wonder what it might be like.”

In the dark, Nicole feels Waverly settle a little deeper beside her. Waverly’s honesty is something Nicole loves about her, and she’s momentarily overwhelmed by the surge of emotion she feels for the woman in her arms.

“Sorry I didn’t have a better answer for you,” Nicole says softly.

Waverly’s wandering fingers find their way into Nicole’s hair before she props herself up and kisses Nicole slowly.

“You _ know _ you don’t have to apologize to me,” Waverly says softly. “Or have an answer at all. It’s a big question, and I sort of…sprung it on you.”

“That baby in there is going to be _ so _ loved,” Nicole murmurs sleepily, smiling up at the brunette. “_That _ is for goddamn sure.”

Nicole drifts off to sleep quickly, but Waverly lays awake for much longer, enjoying the feeling of Nicole’s chest as it rises and falls steadily beside her. Even in the dark, Waverly can imagine the worry wrinkle between her eyes that sometimes appears when she sleeps, usually when she’s under a lot of pressure or has a lot on her mind.

Waverly is awake long enough to hear Alice fuss and for Wynonna to soothe her; for her own internal monologue to calm down and pick right back up again; and, most importantly, for Nicole to start twitching in her sleep beside her.

Sometimes—usually on nights like this, where Waverly can’t sleep anyway—if she can wake Nicole up, she can try and head off the redhead’s nightmares before they get particularly bad.

“Sweetie,” Waverly whispers urgently, splaying her hand out on Nicole’s chest. ”Nicole!”

No luck. Instead, Nicole lets out a quiet moan in her sleep—it sounds like she might be having phantom pain, and Waverly wishes there were something she could do to help her. But there’s nothing she can do except lie there and wait.

It’s only a couple more minutes until all of Nicole’s muscles tense up dramatically before she wakes up with a gasp, scrambling to a seated position. Her chest heaves as she tries to catch her breath, and Waverly sits up beside her, hand never breaking contact with Nicole’s body.

“Baby, look at me!” Waverly murmurs sharply, finding Nicole’s face in the moonlight and straddling her lap gingerly. “Come back to me, Nicole.”

“Waves…” Nicole gasps tearfully, blindly feeling for Waverly in the dark. She can’t remember anything about the dream itself, just…anxiety. Stress. _ Pain_.

Waverly wraps her arms tightly around Nicole, cradling her head against her chest. “Deep breaths,” she says quietly. “That’s it, sweetie. You’re safe, okay?”

“S-sorry,” Nicole stammers once she’s finally caught her breath. “Did I wake you up?”

“Couldn’t sleep,” Waverly says, completely disregarding the unnecessary apology. “Does something hurt?”

“Just my leg. It’s fine.” Nicole’s voice is barely louder than a whisper.

“Okay,” Waverly murmurs. They stay in that position for a couple more minutes before eventually, Waverly moves off her lap. As she settles in beside the taller woman, Waverly pulls Nicole close into her side. 

There’s an awkward scuffling of paws from the floor beside the sofa, followed by the telltale sound of Calamity hopping up to join them. Sensing the stress and discomfort radiating off of Nicole, she climbs right in between them, and one of Nicole’s hands goes instinctively to the dog’s ears.

Between the weight of her dopey dog in her lap and Waverly beside her, Nicole can calm herself down. Her nerves eventually stop firing so wildly, and the deep ache in her missing leg gradually recedes far into the background.

“Why’re _ you _ still awake, anyway?” Nicole asks softly, once she’s gotten a grip on the pain. “Want to talk about it?”

“Not sure,” Waverly says, sounding distant. “Just…couldn’t sleep. Probably just adrenaline after everything today.”

It’s a strange combination of feelings; she’s overjoyed for her sister, but a wave of heaviness has still crashed over her regardless.

“Okay.” Nicole sighs. She lazily brings each of the knuckles of Waverly’s hand to her lips. “Baby, c’mere; you really should get some sleep if you’re going to walk into town during a snowstorm.”

Gently, Nicole nudges Calamity off her lap and guides Waverly into place so she can curve her body around the smaller woman’s. With gentle shushing noises, she drowns out Waverly’s protests, her concerns for Nicole’s comfort.

“I don’t _ care_, Waves,” she murmurs between kisses to Waverly’s neck and shoulder, wherever her lips find exposed skin. “I’ll live. Just relax…get some sleep.”

After a few hours of light, anxious sleep, Waverly untangles herself from her place in Nicole’s arms and starts bundling herself up for the walk into town. In the early morning light, she watches as Nicole’s brow furrows in displeasure at the loss of Waverly’s body from beside her before she rolls over onto her back.

“Cutie,” Waverly murmurs with a grin.

A bleary-eyed Calamity sees that Waverly is preparing to go out and is by her side in a moment.

“You want to come with me?” Waverly asks the dog quietly. She drops to her knees as Calamity starts to get excited, and immediately kneels down to placate the dog with attention so she doesn’t start barking excitedly and wake up the entire house.

***

It’s still snowing outside when Nicole wakes up properly, a fact which means she’ll be on edge until Waverly returns.

She’s not thrilled with the idea of untangling herself from the warm nest of blankets—especially since her knee is protesting all the activity from the day before—so she stays burrowed up to her chin as long as humanly possible, until she sees motion out of the corner of her eye.

Wynonna’s shuffling out of the bedroom, sleeping baby in her arms, presumably looking for a snack.

“Hey!” Nicole exclaims at the sight, sitting bolt upright. “Back in bed, Earp!”

“_Relax_, Haught,” Wynonna says with a smirk. “I’m not going out to run a marathon or anything. She woke up, so I woke up. Plus, I’m hungry.”

“Sorry,” Nicole mumbles. “I should’ve come in to check on you.”

“Don’t sweat it, Haught,” Wynonna says gently. “_Really._” Wynonna’s eyes fall to the baby in her arms. “I, uh…overheard you and Waverly talking last night, before you went to bed.”

“_Wynonna— _”

“Just…take it easy for a minute, okay? Now, take her while I cut us some of that fucking delicious-looking bread you brought over.”

Alice is thrust into Nicole’s arms before she gets a chance to say anything else, and any further argument or apology dies in Nicole’s throat when she takes a proper look at the baby in her arms. She falls head-over-heels in love immediately—Alice’s blue eyes, already so much like both her parents’, are wide with curiosity as she takes in everything around her, and Nicole can’t help herself as she immediately begins running her fingers through Alice’s dark locks, marveling at how impossibly soft the hair is beneath her touch.

“Wynonna, she’s perfect,” Nicole murmurs as Wynonna, plates in hand, carefully climbs into Waverly’s vacant spot beside Nicole. 

“She's all right, I guess,” Wynonna mumbles sheepishly, even as Nicole sees her try to hold back a massive, proud grin. “Given how _ sore _ all my good parts are right now…I guess she was worth it.”

Nicole laughs and shakes her head. “She’s going to be _ so _ lucky to have you as her mom, y’know that?”

“Hey,” Wynonna says, her voice uncharacteristically quiet. “I really don’t know what I would have done without you yesterday. Not that I think my sister would’ve killed me or anything,” she adds quickly, “but _ Jesus_, Nicole, you were so fucking _ calm_.”

“Just did what I had to,” Nicole says.

“Yeah, but…” Wynonna sighs. “People don’t step up like that. Not for me. Especially, like…” she blushes bright red as she searches for the right words. “I mean, you made yourself _ uncomfortable_…for me?”

“You’re my best friend,” Nicole says simply. “And you needed help.” She grins as Wynonna’s eyes bug out and her jaw drops, searching for a coherent response.

“Never had a best friend before,” Wynonna finally mumbles.

A moment of silence passes between the two, and Nicole can feel Wynonna’s eyes on her.

“I guess this finally makes us even, doesn’t it?” She says quietly, looking down at her niece.

“It was never a _ contest_, Haught,” Wynonna says. “I mean…we _ both _ got dealt a pretty shitty hand in life, and we’re making the best of it. Plus,” she adds with a snort, “at this point you’ve seen _ all _ my business, which means you’re not going anywhere, whether you like it or not.”

“Oh _ god_,” Nicole’s laugh tapers off in a groan. “That’s _ not _ something I’d like to revisit anytime soon, okay? Can we at least agree to that?”

“I would say, as long as you don’t hurt my sister, but we’ve already had _ that _discussion.”

“She’s everything to me,” Nicole murmurs, suddenly overcome with emotion. “Wynonna…I think I want to marry her.”

The words hang in the air between them, until the silence is broken by a huge sniff. Nicole looks up to see Wynonna’s eyes are suddenly filled with tears.

“I just had a _ baby_, you asshole,” Wynonna says thickly. “You can’t be playing with my emotions like this, Haught.”

“I mean it,” Nicole says quietly. “I never thought I’d find anyone like her…but she’s my whole world.” Nicole’s voice catches. “I love her, Wynonna. So much that it scares me sometimes. And I want…to spend my life with her.”

Wynonna surveys her friend—her _ best friend—_and can tell she’s speaking nothing but the absolute truth. 

“I didn’t think anyone would ever be worthy of my sister, y’know,” she says quietly. “She was always too good for the stupid, fucked up world we were all born into.”

“You said it.”

“But after all this time…I think you might be, too.”

“What the fuck does _ that _ mean—”

“Shut up and let me finish,” Wynonna says with a wave of her hand. “Even _ before _ the fucking Capitol got me, I was off getting into trouble every other day. I had to _ learn _ how not to be a shitty person, and I was always jealous that Waverly…didn’t. And I didn’t think anyone would ever deserve her because I didn’t think there was anyone out there who wouldn’t take advantage of that. Except, as it turns out… _ you _ had to fucking show up, and you’re the only person who even comes _ close _ to deserving her.”

“Does that mean…you’re giving me your blessing?” Nicole asks, a grin slowly spreading across her face.

“Guess so, Haught.”

As though she knows that they’re talking about her, a very snowy Waverly and Calamity return just then, midwife in tow. Nicole quickly pulls herself together and hands Alice back off to Wynonna, who shoots Nicole a wink before she disappears back into the bedroom to be examined. 

In the meantime, she turns her attention to her girlfriend, who’s shivering so hard Nicole can hear her teeth chattering from across the room.

“Waves, your lips are _ blue_,” Nicole says gently. “Come get warm, okay?”

“I’m f-fine,” Waverly stammers as she stiffly kicks off her boots, cursing herself silently as she stumbles slightly over her own feet.

“Mhm, _ sure_,” Nicole says with a smirk, watching as Waverly’s frozen fingers fumble with the buttons on her jacket. “For someone who grew up way the hell out here, you _ really _don’t handle the cold very well. Let me help you with that,” she adds, beckoning Waverly over to her.

Waverly sinks down on the bed in front of Nicole and allows her to unbutton her coat for her before she hangs it up on the back of a chair to dry out. Without shedding a single layer of clothing, she burrows into the blankets beside Nicole, whose body is like a furnace.

“Poor baby, braving the snow for her sister,” Nicole says teasingly. She takes Waverly’s frozen hands in her own, wincing a little at just _ how _ cold her fingers are. “Actually…can you wiggle your fingers a little, just to reassure me you don’t have frostbite?”

“I only do it for the snuggles,” Waverly mumbles contentedly, obeying Nicole’s request by threading her fingers through the other woman’s. “And you’re so w-_warm…_” Her sentence trails off as she’s interrupted by a yawn so wide it nearly dislocates her jaw.

Nicole laughs and kisses the top of Waverly’s head as she settles even deeper beside her and fully stretches out, ready to go back to sleep.

“I already paid her,” Waverly murmurs sleepily, like she’s reading Nicole’s mind. “Now come here, lay down with me.”

Waverly tugs gently at Nicole’s shirt and Nicole grins. “How could I say no to that, hm?”

“Baby, are you feeling okay?” Waverly asks quietly. “It looked like we walked in on something…intense.”

“Wynonna and I were just having a talk,” Nicole says quietly. “Nothing to worry about. Nothing at _ all_, believe me.”

Waverly looks up at her, and Nicole sees there’s a distant, slightly vacant look in her eyes before she blinks hard and snaps herself back to reality.

“Are _ you _ okay, Waves? You went away on me for a second.”

“I don’t know what’s wrong,” Waverly sighs. “I’m so happy for Wynonna, I really am. I can’t believe I’m going to get to watch that baby grow up.”

“_But… _?” Nicole prods gently. She’s surprised when Waverly can’t come up with an answer, but instead starts to cry in her arms.

“Baby…” 

Nicole tightens her arms around Waverly and kisses her forehead gently. “Are things just…bad today?”

Sometimes, Waverly can’t pull herself out—it’s a phenomenon Nicole can understand all too well. Waverly’s grip tightens slightly in the fabric of Nicole’s shirt as she tries to even out her breathing beside her.

“Yeah,” Waverly whispers. It’s an easier explanation than attempting to wade through the tangled knot of emotions in her chest. “I guess…it’s complicated, and I’m probably just tired anyway.”

“I’m all for going back to sleep,” Nicole begins quietly. “But can we talk about it a little more later? If you’re feeling up to it?”

“Okay.” Waverly’s voice is quiet.

“I’m gonna hold you to that, Earp,” Nicole says softly before yawning widely herself. “Got it?”

With a sniff, Waverly murmurs a vague noise of agreement before she falls fast asleep curled up against Nicole’s warm body.

***

It finally stops snowing later in the day. Waverly is in the kitchen preparing enough food to feed an army while Wynonna pesters her and Nicole snuggles with Alice in the living room.

“Thank fuck,” Nicole sighs to herself as she looks out the front window. “Oops,” she murmurs to the baby in her arms, “I shouldn’t talk like that in front of you, should I?” 

Alice just squirms and babbles contentedly in her arms, and Nicole grins. Those babbles very quickly turn to fussing, and Wynonna immediately abandons her post teasing her sister and joins Nicole on the couch.

“Sounds like it’s time for someone to eat,” Wynonna says as she scoops her up from Nicole’s arms.

It’s only another couple minutes before Waverly finishes in the kitchen. She plops down beside Nicole and leans into her side quietly.

“I think I’m going to head home soon, baby,” Nicole says quietly before placing a gentle kiss on Waverly’s forehead. “You gonna stay here tonight?”

“Actually, no,” Waverly says with a smirk. “I offered, but Wynonna basically told me to piss off.”

“At least she won’t starve,” Nicole says. “Not if you have anything to say about it.”

***

Waverly is unusually quiet for the rest of the day. The joy that had been radiating off of her since the night before very quickly evaporated once they returned home, and Nicole suspects it has everything to do with her outburst of emotion earlier in the day.

Even Calamity can tell something’s off; when Waverly tries to settle in with a book later in the night, the dog paws at her and whines until finally deciding that the best course of action is to lay her head in Waverly’s lap and wait for attention. She hops up on the couch and curls up right beside her, as close as she can, very similar to the way she comforts Nicole when she needs it.

“How do you know, hm?” Waverly asks the dog quietly, stroking the soft fur of Calamity’s forehead, right between her eyes.

Calamity just blinks up at her quizzically, her big brown eyes heavy and sleepy from the gentle, repetitive motions. The tip of her pink tongue darts out lazily in search of Waverly’s fingers, never quite catching them, and Waverly finds herself mesmerized by the simple game.

“Dinner’s almost ready,” Nicole says quietly, settling on the opposite end of the couch. “You two look awfully comfy,” she adds with a smile.

Waverly’s covered both herself and Calamity with the quilt they keep draped across the back of the couch, and Nicole watches as Waverly continues playing gentle games with the dog.

“D’you…want to talk about earlier?” Nicole asks carefully. She rests one hand on Calamity’s belly while reaching out the other for Waverly.

Threading her fingers through the other woman’s, Waverly looks over at Nicole—_her _ Nicole—and feels a rush of what can only be described as gratitude towards the redhead. The way she asks isn’t pushy or nosy, only coming from a place of genuine concern for Waverly’s wellbeing.

“It was silly, honestly,” Waverly sighs. “I was tired and a lot happened yesterday and—”

_ “Waverly.” _

Her full name falls from Nicole’s lips in a sort of bemused, exasperated tone, and Nicole raises one eyebrow in her direction.

“Baby, you and I _ both _ know that there’s more to it than that.”

Waverly sighs and feels heat rise into her cheeks. “I’m gonna sound like a terrible person, though,” she says with the slightest pout.

“I think I can take it,” Nicole says with a small smile.

“I guess I can’t help but feel…a little _ jealous?_”

“Of…Wynonna?”

“I told you it was gonna make me sound awful!” Waverly exclaims. “But I think I’m jealous because it was so…easy for her, I guess. To start a family.”

“Because she was able to do it without trying?”

Waverly nods. “_God, _ I feel like an idiot. Especially because _ we’d _ never even discussed this before last night—” her voice hitches, and Waverly feels that knot tighten in her chest again. “It’s such a _ mess—_”

“Baby…” Nicole says quietly. “I know how much you love your sister, but you’re still allowed to have messy feelings.”

If it weren’t for the all too comfortable-looking dog in between them, Nicole would slide right over on the couch and gather Waverly up in her arms, but instead, she settles for giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

“Waves, I hope that what I said last night didn’t give you the wrong idea…” Nicole says slowly, filling the space between them.

“About what?”

“About having a family. Kids.” Nicole sighs. “It’s just not something I’ve had a lot of time to think about, but I don’t want you to think that means I…don’t want that with you.”

Nicole’s eyes are wide and worried, like she’s worried that _ this _ is the moment Waverly’s going to end it all. It breaks Waverly’s heart every time because, as far as she’s concerned, this right here…is forever.

_ Forever_.

“W-Waves…?” Nicole stammers slightly as she tries to refocus Waverly’s attention.

“Sorry, Nicole…” Waverly says slowly. “I was just…thinking…”

“About what?”

Waverly’s breath catches as she abruptly stands up from the couch and straddles Nicole’s lap, completely pinning Nicole to the couch with her hips. She wraps her arms around Nicole tightly as she kisses her deeply, and savours the feeling of Nicole’s chest rising and falling with surprise beneath her.

“Waverly…what the…?”

Nicole pulls away and looks up at her with slightly hooded eyes, her pupils wide with sudden desire.

“I want forever, Nicole. With you,” Waverly breathes as she curls herself around Nicole’s warm body. 

“You…”

“I don’t care _ what _it looks like,” Waverly continues, plowing right ahead before she loses every ounce of nerve she possesses. “And we don’t have to know what we’re doing, but—”

“_Waverly…_” Nicole sighs as she pulls Waverly back into her. She grins into the kiss, and Waverly could swear she starts _ laughing. _

“What’s so funny?” Waverly asks with a pout.

“Remember this morning, when you asked if you’d walked in on something between me and Wynonna?”

“Yeah?” Waverly says, furrowing her brow.

“I was asking Wynonna…” Nicole begins slowly, locking her arms around Waverly’s waist and meeting her eyes very intentionally. “If she would give me her blessing…to ask you for forever.”

“You’re kidding,” Waverly breathes. “It’s rude to joke about this, you know.”

“I’m really not,” Nicole murmurs. Her heart pounds wildly in her chest as she takes in Waverly’s surprised expression, hardly able to believe this is happening so soon. “I don’t plan on going _ anywhere _, Waverly Earp, d’you hear me?”

Waverly can barely _ breathe_, much less fully process what’s happening. 

“W-what does that mean…” Waverly breathes, hardly daring to ask anything more specific.

“It means I want to marry you, Waverly,” Nicole says softly, a grin slowly spreading across her face. “Only if you want to, of course—”

Waverly unabashedly cuts off the redhead by kissing her again, long and slow and deep.

“Yes. _ Yes_, Nicole, I will marry you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [This fic has a playlist!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3S15627fXLey1G1MGhxnIZ?si=dOW8-rJnS3OTPiMGlcLMkg)
> 
> [Come yell at me on Twitter!](https://twitter.com/unsaltysaltines)

**Author's Note:**

> [Come yell at me on Twitter!](https://twitter.com/unsaltysaltines)
> 
> Yell at me about the scenes you want me to write, and I just might write them because I have literally no idea where this is going.


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